The country's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, participated in the Socialist Party assembly in Unit 12 in Tirana. There, he addressed economic growth, stating that he refuses to listen to criticisms about the increase in corruption. The head of the government said that if this were the case, then there would be no economic growth in the country. "We have placed Albania in a completely different position than it had. We have gained respect and trust from those who pretended to respect us. At the same time, we have grown the economy. I know that no matter how much the economy grows, it is never enough and people aim for more. The fact is that we have systematically increased wages and now we have started paying seniority as well. As we speak today, teachers are paid for seniority, doctors and nurses, military personnel, police employees likewise. It is happening now because we created the opportunities for it to happen. There was nothing more normal since we took office than pensioners asking for pensions to be increased, but there was no possibility. That was the economy we inherited and we had to create the opportunity. And the increase started in January with that extra bonus, which in January of next year will be double. In 2028 triple, 2029 quadruple and in 2030 quintuple. This comes as opportunities increased. We do not count the Albanian passports that enter Albania. We only count foreign ones. These things we say are facts. One cannot be brought and say with a full mouth: 'Corruption has increased'. This is a very big lie, because if corruption had increased, the economy would not grow, pensions, the number of beneficiaries from public tenders, etc. I refuse with disgust this narrative that they don't know how to say anything else but: 'Theft, theft, theft! Corruption, corruption, corruption!'. But if these were true, the changes we have made would not happen," said Rama.