Konfindustria concerned over poor fuel quality

TIRANA, Nov. 8 – Albania’s Konfindustria Association has expressed its concern over the poor quality of fuel in Albania after a report published by the Central Technical Inspectorate showing that an estimated annual 30,000 tons of fuel in Albania does not meet standards.
In a statement, Konfindustria’s administrator Gjergj Buxhuku says the amount is believed to be much bigger causing huge economic and health damage,
“These consequences coming from fuel not meeting standards and unregulated fuel market cause unreasonable costs for businesses, citizens and the country’s economy at an estimated 150 million Euros a year,” says Buxhuku appealing to state institutions to take harsher punitive measures against abusers.
Albania’s business community represented by Konfindustria, has reiterated its request to government to establish a watchdog monitoring the fuel and liquid gas market in the country.
“The Entity must serve as a watchdog and regulator on subjective price distortions in the strategic fuel market, including the liquid gas market, when compared to international market prices, and prevent extra costs for businesses, industries and citizens,” says Konfindustria, appealing for the immediate establishment of the regulatory body.
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 and citizen’s welfare.
“The continuous ill-functioning of the oil market in Albania, under the conditions when theoretically we have a liberalized market could be explained only with the existence of a ‘cartel’ type of agreement among market operators,” said Buxhuku.
However, data from the Albania oil portal, energjia.al, show some 180 companies operate in the wholesale oil and liquid gas market and another 1,000 in the retail market, making the market fully liberalized.