In Albania, as elsewhere, the containment measures imposed during the Covid-19 crisis led to an increase in the usage of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, the Albanian government has been keen on stimulating the process of digitalisation of SMEs, on the back of the proposed policy response formulated by the EBRD-supported Investment Council (IC).
This note covers two policy engagements that followed discussions with the authorities: (1) an assessment of SME access to ICT and the resulting recommendations, and (2) the creation of an online platform containing all existing financing and support schemes for SMEs to facilitate their access to finance. An update with preliminary findings of the study will follow.
