The reference price system used by Albanian customs has come under attack by local manufacturers who say it leaves too much room for abuse and causes unfair competition for Albanian products.
TIRANA, Feb. 9 – Products made in Albania face unfair competition by imports that are favored by customs reference prices that are too low, representatives of Albanian manufacturers said this week.
The Albanian Confederation of Industries has asked the Ministry of Finance and the General Directorate of Customs to intervene to help Albanian industries by making sure the customs’ price reference system works properly.
The price reference system allows customs to determine what the price of a product is in the international markets and have importers pay the customs fee as a percentage of that price.
But Albanian producers say the prices are often low, and foreign products get an unfair price advantage.
The confederation says the mechanical, meat processing, metal-making, paper production, and beverage industries are among the most affected.
The problem, according to the Albanian Confederation of Industries, is that Albania’s customs system leaves too much room for subjective action and corruption by customs authorities when setting the all-powerful reference price.
The customs administration has been a target of complaints by the business community in the past and it has faced complaints by importers too.
Business representatives have said there are selective customs procedures for different products and companies and often the set reference price does not corresponds with the real prices in the international markets, either being too high or too low.
Customs officials have said prices in the international markets often change rapidly and their database tries to keep track of things. But officials have also complained that importers often declare a lower price paid for the goods and have documents to support it in order to avoid paying higher customs fees.
The reference price system went through a lot of changes last August and September, as the General Directorate of Customs overhauled the database. Many prices went up as a result, especially for raw materials.
