Customs administration fails to meet targets

TIRANA, Nov. 7 – The customs administration says it collected 102.2 billion lek in the first ten months of this year, failing to meet targets by only 0.2 percent or 300 million lek. Data show Made in Albania exports rose to 78.8 billion lek, up from 61.9 billion lek during Jan-Oct. 2010 registering a 23.7 percent increase.
The garment and footwear industry, which imports raw material to domestically process and re-export it, also saw a significant increase in exports which rose to 84.3 billion lek, up from 70.5 billion lek during the first ten months of 2010.
Data from the General Customs Directorate show fuel imports were the main source of income during Jan-Aug. 2011 accounting for 21.6 billion lek, followed by tobacco at 2.8 billion lek, electricity at 2.1 billion lek and cars at 1.7 billion lek.
Latest Finance Ministry data show total government revenues during the first nine months of this year have grown by only 1.1 percent compared to the same period last year, but remain 2.5 percent below the revised targets.