Financing the small and medium enterprises in Albania

Abstract

The importance of small and medium enterprises in economy is indisputable. They are the main contributor in employment, innovation and economic growth of a country. European Commission is fully supporting the development and growth of small and medium enterprises through changes in legislation, creating a friendly business environment, facilitation in obtaining funds in the last two decades. The share of SME in total enterprises in Albania is 99.6% and their contribution in the GDP is 73%. Their growth is closely linked with their ability to finance their activity, which is one of the most important issues they are faced with due to their size and creditworthiness. This paper aims to analyze the difficulties and obstacles that SME in Albania encounter in obtaining financing due to lack of source of financing within country, limited opportunities of accessing international capital markets as well as high interest rate.