Four charged with stealing electricity

TIRANA, Sept. 30 – Four people have been charged by the prosecutor’s office of stealing electricity, after power corporation staff gave prosecutors proof of the theft.
Energy theft in Albania is rampant, but only recently authorities are acting on it as a criminal offense.
The state-run power sector is very often dysfunctional and in a serious crisis. Bill collection from power consumers remains a weak point, despite a statement by Prime Minister Edi Rama earlier this month saying that more than 400,000 illegal power links have been cut this year.
The power corporations have a debt of $550 million largely due to unpaid bills but also because of the poor infrastructure maintenance and widespread theft.
Authorities recently received a $150 million loan from the World Bank to help overhaul such a situation and also pay for electricity imports.