Customs administration collects Kurum fine

TIRANA, Oct. 22 – Albania’s customs administration says it has collected 72 million lek (Euro 505,000) in tax evasion from Turkey’s Kurum after a fine imposed few days ago for its steel plant operations in Elbasan. Customs authorities say they are also working to collect around 218 million lek in a fine imposed to the Turkish steelmaker on tax evasion for around 4,000 tonnes of steel. Kurum is one of the largest foreign companies in Albania with its key operation in the Elbasan steel plant, the Durres Port container, and more recently four small and medium-sized hydropower plants and the Cerrik oil refiner.
Customs authorities have also unveiled Euro 2.7 million in damage to the state budget caused by the launch into the market of 4,400 tons of unexcised fuel in Lezha, northern Albania. The fuel owned by Ada petrol had been stored at the Shengjin Port and was under surveillance by local customs authorities. The company was fined 780 million lek (Euro 5.4 million) for the violation.