TIRANA, April 29 – With the nationwide camping to curb electricity theft and collect accumulated unpaid bills already underway, government has withdrawn from a controversial article in the new energy law that allowed the state-run energy operator to seize real estate assets to debtor household consumers placing them as collateral, but has left in force the severe measure for debtor business consumers.
Through an amendment to the new energy law just ahead of the June 21 local elections, the Socialist Party-led left majority proposes that the penalty will remain in force only for business and state institutions which have accumulated debts of over 1.5 million lek (Euro 10,500).
Under the previous draft law approved by government, the electricity distribution operator, OSHEE, was authorized to seize assets to households with a debt of more than 150,000 lek (Euro 1,051) and businesses with accumulated debts of more than 2 million lek Euro (14,017).
The opposition Democratic Party had described the new measures unacceptable and new repressive measures against households and businesses.
OSHEE says it collected a record 200 million dollars only in the December-February period with 258,000 debtor household customers offered to pay in monthly installments or benefit 80 percent discount on penalties for late-payments in case of immediate payment as part of nationwide campaign launched in October 2014 to curb thefts of around Euro 150 million a year.
