As CEZ prepares to leave, gov’t accuses company of inciting public unrest

TIRANA, Dec. 18 – A government official said Dec. 16 power cuts are leading to public unrest in parts of Albania, adding managers at the privately-owned CEZ Shpendarje would be held accountable if the problems continued.
CEZ has indicated it wants to leave Albania due to losses and disagreements with the government and regulators.
As the debate between the company and authorities continues, Albanians continue to suffer from power cuts across the country, including parts of Tirana. There have been protests as a result, including blocking a major highway out of Tirana and setting fire to tires and trash collection bins.
CEZ says some of the cuts are related to unpaid bills and bad weather. The government says it won’t tolerate collective punishment for unpaid bills and adds CEZ should fulfill its contract and provide an uninterrupted supply.
The Energy Regulatory Entity, the country’s top energy regulator, has fined the CEZ in two occasions and now it has asked courts to freeze the company’s bank accounts.
This is a web-only news update. Read more on this topic in the upcoming issue of Tirana Times. Published every Friday since 2005, Tirana Times is Albania’s weekly English-language newspaper. Pick up a copy in news stands where available or subscribe for full access.