Starting from the first day of the week, fuel trades 5 Albanian lek련ALL) higher than a week ago. Overnight Sunday to Monday prices listed in many of the fuel distributors have shown 116 lek롰er liter and 121 lek롰er liter respectively. A rising tendency was also reported no later than mid May (Koha Jon묠19.05.2009). At that time, an increase from 110 lek롰er liter to113 lek롰er liter was quoted.
Sale forces justify the rise in per-liter price, by the increase of fuel prices in the world commodities’ market. Actually gross prices in the world markets have risen as high as 60 US dollars (USD) per barrel. But analyst and reporter Blerina Hoxha recalls that only months ago when the barrel fetched 60 USD and a US dollar exchanged to120 Albanian lek묠the price per liter in the Albanian market was 80 lek뮠She believes the Albanian fuels market to have found a speculative habit of taking pretence of rise of world market per barril prices in order to rise gross and per-liter prices and of forgetting about falls of world market prices, when it is question to report these prices in the Albanian market sales prices.
The US dollar actually trades to nearly 100 Albanian lek뮠Starting from the actual price that fuel is selling in Albania, Blerina Hoxha concludes that if the barril were to rise again to140 USD trading quotes, like it did months ago, prices in Albania could climb as far as 300 lek롰er liter.
But she recalls that last summer, when the world market prices rose to 140 USD per barril, prices per liter in Albania were averaged at 165 lek련Koha Jon묠2.06.2009).
Agreement clampers competition
The press makes reference to a report drawn by the secretariat of the competition authority. Seven big companies have been interviewed and the competition authority believes agreements between them to have faltered competition. If the report is found fully argued, the companies might have to pay a fine which may represent as much as 10 % of their turnover (Koha Jon묠19.05.2009 and 2.06.2009).
Detail sellers tell that they only reflect changes in gross prices, while importers blame for the increase the per-liter traders. Taking a geo-economic comparative view, Blerina Hoxha estimates that fuels sold in Albania are of the worst quality in the neighbourhood, while prices are the highest in the region.
