Tax stamp deal with Sicpa ready for final approval

TIRANA, Feb. 1 – The parliamentary legal affairs committee approved on Tuesday a 10-year concession contract with Switzerland’s Sicpa which has won a tender to produce and establish a tax stamps control system on tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceutical products. The draft law was received only the votes of the majority deputies. The opposition lawmakers were not present in the session following a decision to boycott all parliamentary committees until the Jan. 21 events when three anti-government protestors were shot dead are fully investigated.
The Finance Ministry, which is the contracting authority, says the new scheme expected to start being implemented this year, after the company gets the necessary permits and authorizations, will minimize circulation of fake tax stamps, one of government’s main source of revenue.
Government will pay an average of 14.43 euros/1,000 tax stamps after reaching a deal to lower the company’s initial proposal by 31 percent. Their production and issue will be carried out at the ex-typography facilities, where new biometric passports and IDs are also produced.
According to a Finance Ministry statement, 100 stamps for tobacco products will cost 20 euros, compared to 32 euros for alcoholic beverages, 22 euros for beer and 14.43 for medicines.