“It is unacceptable that losses are at around 34 percent of which more than 20 percent are electricity thefts,” said Energy Minister Prifti
TIRANA, July 5 – Economy and Energy Minister Dritan Prifti has described the privatization of state-owned electricity distribution operator (OSSH) a success but warned owners, Czech Republic’s CEZ, they need to further improve service and cut delays in new connections to the electricity grid. The comments were made last week during a meeting Prifti had with the company’s director Josef Hejsek, one year after CEZ bought 76 percent of OSSH’s shares for 102 million euros.
Praising improvements made to Albania’s electricity distribution system under the management of CEZ, which has invested nearly 60 million euros in consumption measurement and maintenance of network, Prifti promised legal support to eliminate abuses.
“We have a lot to do and as a representative of the majority and minority stake in OSSH, I guarantee that Parliament is at your disposal to make new laws punishing abusers because it is unacceptable that losses are at around 34 percent of which more than 20 percent are electricity thefts,” said Prifti.
The minister criticized the long time new consumers have to wait for new connections to the electricity grid, the overbilling last January and slow time to react in emergency situations.
“There are new OSSH customers who have to wait for weeks and even months to have their grid connections,” said Prifti, adding that the deadline should not be more than 30 days.
The minister also called for higher public transparency suggesting call centres to improve services offered to customers.
Earlier this year, the overbilling of customers who had their December bills calculated based on the new increased electricity tariffs due to enter into force from January 1 hit the headlines.
CEZ admitted irregularities and said it would compensate customers but according to the Ombudsman’s office, consumers have not been compensated yet.
The Ombudsman’s office said it receives numerous complains by household consumers claiming they are charged more than they consume and that employees often do not fill in the bills based on power meter data.
Last month, the Energy Regulatory Agency (ERE) announced the deadline for payment of fixed-rate electricity bills has expired and that starting from this month fixed-rate bills will be banned.
According to ERE’s 2009 report, there were 84,000 consumers without power meters, affecting both the Energy Distribution System Operator (OSSH) privatized by Czech company, CEZ, and consumers.
CEZ had requested a 24 percent price increase in electricity for 2010 but the Energy Regulatory Entity approved only a 13 percent increase which entered into force starting from January, 1 2010.
