National Economic Chamber: automatic membership and new fee for businesses

The National Economic Chamber is the new institution proposed to be created with The draft law submitted for public consultation on August 14, 2026 from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. This article will clarify the role and importance expected of the national economic chamber in representing business. The draft law replaces the law. No. 9640, dated November 9, 2006, For the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and reorganizes from the ground up the representation of business in Albania.

This is not a reorganization that affects only institutions. Your membership is determined directly by your status in the Commercial Register, without any application or any signature.

Also, after a transitional period, membership is accompanied by an annual registration fee. In this article, you'll find what the draft law provides, who is affected, how much it costs, and what the only real deadline is at the moment.

Read also: The register of beneficial owners is changing. What does the new draft law bring?

What is the National Chamber of Economy?

The National Economic Chamber is a public-law legal entity, with its headquarters in Tirana, representing the interests of all commercial entities in the country. Explanatory relationship It justifies the change by citing the fragmentation of the existing system and the lack of a national coordinating structure. In other words, the state aims for a single, organized business voice.

Under the National Chamber, Sectoral Chambers are established, organized according to the main sectors of the economy. Their number and names are approved by order of the responsible minister, upon the Chamber's proposal. Each sectoral chamber has its own assembly of 15 to 61 members, in proportion to the number of businesses in the sector.

A detail draws attention to the regional rooms. Their opening is permitted only if the region's businesses contribute more than 501 TP3T to the national gross domestic product, according to INSTAT data. This requirement is very high, so in practice the system remains focused at the national and sectoral levels.

Who becomes a member automatically and who doesn't.

Article 11 of the draft law establishes membership ipso lege, that is, automatically by the force of law. A trading entity under the draft law is any natural or legal person that has the obligation to register in the commercial register according to the law No. 9723, dated May 3, 2007.

Any such entity with active status becomes a member of the National Economic Chamber upon the law's entry into force. The same applies to any business that is then registered at the QKB.

Exclusion for regulated professions

Automatic membership does not apply to entities that, by a special law, are required to join elsewhere, in professional orders or chambers. In practice, this is expected to include regulated liberal professions such as lawyers, notaries, doctors, and auditors.

These entities can voluntarily become members if they wish. For everyone else, there is no choice, so the practical question is not whether to become a member, but how much it will cost and what you get in return.

Read also: Regulated professions are being reorganized. What changes for finance and auditing?

The right to vote in the new system

Membership also grants the right to vote for the governing bodies, which are elected every three years by secret ballot. However, Article 38 excludes certain categories from voting. These include entities with final criminal convictions for economic offenses, those in liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings, and businesses with suspended status in the Commercial Register.

What is the annual fee of the National Economic Chamber?

Article 12 provides for an annual registration fee, which becomes mandatory only after the end of the transitional period. For the purposes of the fee, the draft law defines this period as two years from the law's entry into force. During these two years, businesses enjoy member status without paying anything.

Category	Annual fee
During the two-year transitional period	zero lek
Entities that are not subject to income tax	One thousand lek
Other commercial entities	Appointed by the Assembly, up to 70,000 lekë.
The first year after registration in the Commercial Register	One thousand lek

Who is subject to the 1,000 lek fee?

This category is expected to include primarily individual traders, who are taxed as self-employed and not subject to profit tax. The precise definition will be clarified in the implementing regulations.

Watch out for a detail that could deceive you. 0% tax rate on profits until 2029 That doesn't mean you're not subject to this tax. If the text is applied literally, even a small LLC with a rate of 0% remains. Subject to income tax, Therefore, it does not automatically fall under the 1,000 lek fee.

For other entities, the Chamber's General Assembly sets the fee based on criteria such as legal form, enterprise size, number of employees, and annual turnover. The law only establishes a ceiling of 70,000 lek per year. Meanwhile, businesses that have just completed Initial registration They pay 1,000 lek in the first year, regardless of the legal form.

Payment deadline and penalty

The payment deadline is April 30 of the following year, via the banking system. Failure to pay the fee constitutes an administrative offense and is punishable by a fine. The amount of the fine will be set by a subordinate act, in accordance with the law. No. 10,279, dated May 20, 2010, For administrative violations.

An orientation scenario with data

Let's make it concrete with a simple hypothesis. Suppose the law is passed and takes effect in January 2027. The two-year transition period runs until January 2029, so until then no business pays a fee.

The first mandatory fee would be due in 2029 and would have to be paid no later than April 30, 2030. A natural person trader would pay 1,000 lek. A shpk A business with a significant number of employees and turnover would pay the amount approved by the Assembly, up to 70,000 lek. The dates are illustrative, because the law has not yet been approved.

Read more: 10 steps businesses should follow after initial registration

What services does the new room system offer?

The fee is not simply a membership payment. The draft law delegates to the National Economic Chamber certain public functions and services that are currently carried out by various institutions or are entirely lacking.

According to Article 9, the Chamber shall issue non-preferential certificates of origin under the Customs Code, Carnet ATA certificates for the temporary admission of goods, and Carnet TIR certificates for international transport. For exporting businesses and carriers, these are everyday working documents.

Also, the Chamber takes on the administration of the NVE codes, that is, the classification of economic activities, in collaboration with the National Business Center. It will also provide support for registration procedures and for changes to the QKB registers.

The Chamber will also serve as an intermediary between employers and the education system, ensuring that qualifications are aligned with the labor market. This role applies to any business that has employees under contract. Labor Code, because it is related to staff training and qualification.

Also included on the list are the representation of entrepreneurs in the appeal review bodies for inspections under Law No. 99/2024, a permanent arbitration structure for business disputes, and the promotion of the Made in Albania brand.

It should be emphasized that during the transitional period these services are provided free of charge, even to entities that are not members. After this period, non-members receive the services subject to fees set by a legislative act.

What happens to the existing chambers of commerce?

The Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the county chambers enter a winding-up phase upon the law's entry into force. They continue operating until the existing terms expire and are then considered dissolved. During this phase they may not assume new obligations or modify existing agreements without prior written approval.

The transition is overseen by a Temporary Technical Commission of three experts appointed by order of the responsible minister. This commission drafts the action plan, takes possession of the documentation of the existing chambers, and organizes the first elections for the new bodies. The existing chambers must submit within the first quarter of 2027. financial statements and to initiate the closing procedures.

For the first two years, the National Economic Chamber is financed by the state budget. After that, it must be self-financed, primarily through annual fees and service charges. This also explains the rationale behind the mandatory fee, since the new system is designed to be supported by the member businesses themselves.

Still a draft bill. How to provide feedback until September 11, 2026.

The draft law is in public consultation and has no legal effect today. The existing chambers of commerce operate normally and no new fees are payable. Even after possible approval by the Assembly, the law takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette, while cooperation with the QKB is scheduled to begin no earlier than January 1, 2027.

Uncertainties awaiting clarification

Some points remain unclear in the consultation text. For example, the transitional period is defined once as the time until the end of existing mandates and another time as a two-year period for fee purposes. Also, the categorization of businesses for fees and the amount of the penalty for non-payment remain to be determined by secondary legislation.

Therefore, every figure and deadline in this article must be re-read when the text is finally approved.

How to submit comments

The only real deadline at the moment is this one. Comments on the draft law are due by September 11, 2026. the public consultation platform, After logging in to the platform. If the fee, sectoral representation, or delegated services affect your activity, now is the time to say so. Comments submitted now carry much more weight than complaints after approval.

Read also: Accounting law is changing. What does the 2026 draft law provide?

Frequently asked questions

Is membership in the National Economic Chamber mandatory?

Yes, if the draft law is adopted in this form. Any business entity with active status in the Commercial Register becomes a member automatically, by force of law. The only exceptions are entities that, by a special law, are required to join professional orders or chambers.

Do I need to pay or do something now?

No. The draft law has not been approved and no obligation exists today. The only possible step now is to submit comments in the public consultation by September 11, 2026.

How much will my business pay if the law is passed?

During the first two years after coming into effect, nothing. After that, 1,000 lekë per year if you are not subject to profit tax, or a fee of up to 70,000 lekë per year depending on size, number of employees, and turnover. Newly registered businesses pay 1,000 lekë in the first year.

Who is excluded from automatic membership?

Entities that, by special law, are required to join professional orders or chambers, such as lawyers, notaries, doctors, and auditors. They may join voluntarily, and if they do not, they receive the services for a fee.

Does the Chamber replace registration at the QKB?

No. The Commercial Register remains with the National Business Center and the registration procedures do not change. The Chamber collaborates with the NBK on NVE codes and supports entities. Tax obligations Your business is also not affected by this draft law.

What's happening with the county chambers of commerce?

They continue their work until the end of the existing terms and then dissolve. Law No. 9640, date November 9, 2006, is repealed on the date these mandates expire.

When is the law expected to take effect?

There is no guaranteed date. After consultation, the draft law goes to the Council of Ministers and then to the Assembly. If approved, it takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette, with a two-year transitional period for fees.