Public communication of the Deputy Prime Minister Erjon Braçe:

Thank you all!

I would like to share few comments with you regarding the clear and legal action launched by our tax and customs administration to verify operations by various operators in the market all over the country.

As you already know, for weeks now, the inspection actions have been intensively focused on the operations by the largest wholesale suppliers and importers in the fuel market. We have inspected the biggest fuel importers, their gas, gasoline and diesel reserves and their storage in customs warehouses. We have also rigorously inspected the large fuel producers in the country. It is now also time to focus our inspection actions at the large fuel consumers in the country that account for around 40 to 45% of the market share and the fuel consumption in Albania. I would like to issue an appeal to everyone, especially to main two categories; first, the largest consumers who own fuel reserves in the venues of their businesses and then use this fuel reserve to fill their own vehicles. I am talking about big construction firms, large road construction companies, large manufacturers and transporters of the construction materials. The inspection will also include large distribution companies that offer and deliver services, especially in trade and commerce. I am also talking about not only distributors, but also the manufacturing companies that manufacture various products in this country and that own fuel reserves in their business venues, but which, unfortunately, they are uncertified reserves by the relevant legal authorities for their capacities. Their fuel dispensers have not been certified by the legal authorities too.

Starting from today until end of September, these companies and large consumers would have sufficient time to address to the state bodies, including the legal metrology to certify capacities of their fuel reserves as soon as possible so that all state authorities have a clear picture of their fuel reserves and consumption. Apart from this category, there is another category of companies that tax investigations have found that they possess no fuel reserves and, above all, they are not fuel consumers at all, yet they turn out to be part of fuel distribution and sale operations. Of course, each of these companies will be definitely subject to the inspection and investigation actions by our tax bodies and every tax inspector and official who have certified these unlawful actions we come across on daily basis will be held accountable.

Second, I would like to reiterate what I have already stated during the previous communication. I have forwarded special files to the Minister of Justice, the High Judicial Council, the International Monitoring Operation, and certainly the vetting authorities, regarding three judges; namely a Tirana Administrative Court judge whose ruling on an issue, according to us, is an open violation to the law; a judge in the Judicial District of Vlora, who has ruled on three cases within a minute and of course totally and ultimately out of his subject matter jurisdiction; and also regarding a judge in Gjirokastra Administrative Court, who, as you are aware of this fact, has unfrozen seven tonnes of food products confiscated by the Food Authority inspectors after these products had expired many months, even years ago. I have asked the Independent Qualification Commission, the vetting bodies, as well as the International Monitoring Operation, and the High Judicial Council to take into account the activity of these three judges and their ruling on the abovementioned cases, so that when each of these judges appear in front of these new justice bodies, these cases be part of the evaluation process.

Mr. Braçe, a serious incident took place most recently in the area of fuel distribution and retail. Are the security issues part of the ongoing inspection actions?

Deputy PM Braçe: As you may already know, the State Technological and Industrial Inspectorate has blocked earlier today the operations in the gas station where the incident happened. What concerns me most –  and together with the relevant cabinet member I am asking a more detailed information on the incident – has to do with the previous inspection actions in this filling station. Every inspector and their actions are being investigated and they will all be held accountable for issuing security certificates to that filling station.

Thank you!