TIRANA, Dec. 16 – Albania’s oil supply risked a blockade last week after Global Fluids International, the fuel marking concessionaire, stopped its operations for one day claiming the Albanian government had failed to meet contractual obligations over crude oil marking and monitoring, the majority of which is produced in Albania and destined for export.
GFI, a subsidiary of Canada-based Eurocontrol Technics Group, started its 10-year national fuel marking and tracing contract in Albania in Sept. 2013 in partnership with the Switzerland-based Petroleum Consulting Partners, which initially held a 25 percent stake but has now become the sole shareholder in the concession.
The country’s Competition Authority, which says it hasn’t been officially informed of the changes in shareholding, immediately announced the launch of an enquiry into the concession.
Erion Braà§e, the head of the parliamentary economy committee, said the GFI was blackmailing the government through the suspension of the work.
The situation was immediately overcome on Dec. 11 when GFI resumed operations. In a statement this week, GFI Albania said it had suspended work in protest against the Albanian government’s failure to allow the concessionaire mark and trace crude oil. “As a result, since 2013 GFI Albania has been working at only 30 percent of its planned capacity, incurring losses but is proud of the contribution in the fight against tax evasion.”
The company claims the Albanian government has increased its income by $60 million during the past year because of its oil marking and tracing services.
Last November, Canada-based Eurocontrol announced it has sold 100 percent of its wholly owned subsidiary Global Fluids International to Swiss-based SICPA, already present in Albania with tax stamp concession.
Back in March 2014, Albania’s Constitutional Court turned down a request by the Association of Fuel Companies requesting the cancellation of a fuel marking concession awarded to the private company over an alleged monopoly situation violating competition and creating a dominant market position.
Starting August 2013, for the first time in Albania, fuel is being marked at minor cost of 0.74 lek (€0.005)/litre in an effort to strengthen monitoring of the market which has often abused consumers with quality and quantity.
With an annual turnover of 800-900 million Euros, the fuel market is one of the biggest industries in the country and has a direct impact on all sectors of the economy.
