Enquiry launched into liquid gas market

TIRANA, August 2 – The Competition Authority has launched an enquiry into the concession company operating the Porto Romano liquid gas storage site after identifying violation of competition rules and a possible monopoly situation. The decision announced on Tuesday came after MareOil operator had not been allowed to use the Porto Romano port to discharge liquid gas from a ship although submitting all necessary documents to the Romano Port concessionary.
The Authority suspects the decision might have been taken to favour other companies.
“The Competition Commission says an emergency situation could be faced because of the danger of grave and irreparable damage to competition,” says the decision which obliges the concession company to allow the handling of the liquid gas from the blocked ship in five days.
The Competition Authority says the port’s managing company risks being fined up to 10 percent of its annual turnover in case of not enforcing the decision immediately.
Earlier this year, the Petrolifera oil and gas terminal in Vlora, southern Albania, faced problems with the distribution of liquid gas because of initially refusing to install cash registers.
The suspension of liquid gas distribution by Petrolifera, the biggest terminal in southern Albania, last February reduced oil supply and further increased gas prices following the company’s refusal to install cash registers because of only serving as a storage site.
Last January, liquid gas companies operating in Albania strongly opposed a Finance Ministry decision which obliged them to install new costly cash registers measuring gas in litres and not kg as they currently do. However, the Tax Directorate dismissed the operators’ claims saying that the new cash register system would measure the real turnover and examine the amount and quality of gas which traders are not willing to do.
Prices of liquid gas, which is used as a cheaper alternative to cooking and heating, are currently at 90 lek/litre.
Hundreds of retail operators sell liquid gas bottled in 10-15 kg cylinders even in unlicensed highly inhabited areas.