TIRANA, June 9 – Albania’s Competition Authority has launched probes on the monopoly aviation fuel and insulin supply and issued recommendations on the car technical control service.
The watchdog says it has launched an enquiry into Air BP Albania company over its monopoly position in the supply of Jet-A1 aviation fuel.
“Although the exclusiveness of aviation fuel trade in the Tirana international airport area expired in January 2015, this market remains a monopoly of Air BP company which is the only operator providing this service in the air passenger market,” says the Competition Authority.
The Oil Association has also complained over barriers and the inability of other operators to enter this market. The three-month probe will cover the January 2015-May 2016 period.
In another probe, the competition authority is investigating into the monopoly supply of the insulin pills for diabetes patients by “Fufarma” company which allegedly conditions the supply of the pills to drugstores with the compulsory purchase of other products traded by this company.
The watchdog has also issued some recommendation about tariffs charged by Swiss SGS technical control concessionaire over the inflation-indexed tariff hikes expected in September 2017 ahead of the expiry of its 10-year contract at the end of 2019.
The watchdog says the government should take measures to lift the monopoly in this service and make it competitive, increasing the number of operators after the end of the concession deal.
The application of fuel emission standards starting late 2015 has led to the failure of thousands of cars in technical control tests, giving rise to increased corruption allegations by drivers some of whom claim they can pass the emission test only if they bribe enough.
