Press release of Prime Minister Edi Rama:

As we announced a few weeks ago, today I want to make public the start of the multidimensional operation against all forms of robbery and fraud to Albanian customers in the oil sector.

The Ministers of Finance, Economic Development, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Energy and Industry and the Minister of Interior, have agreed on a very detailed guideline, pursuant to article 102, paragraph 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, of the Customs Code of the Republic of Albania, of the law on excise duties in the Republic of Albania, of the Law on Tax Procedures in the Republic of Albania, of the Law on Metrology, of the Law for the processing, transportation and marketing of oil, gas and their derivatives, of the Law on the State Police, of the Law on the contracting authority for the service of concession, marking, and monitoring of fuel, as well as pursuant to eight decisions of the Council of Ministers dating from 1999 to 2013, and according to the exhaustive legal framework for the sector, they have launched an institutional mechanism, including the Directorate General of Customs, the Directorate General of Taxation, the competent State Inspectorate, the General Directorate of Metrology, the National Agency of Natural Resources, the concession company of marking, and the State Police Department. They have identified 21 aspects with which this mechanism will deal around the clock across the territory of Albania, starting from tomorrow.

These 21 aspects of the sector are also key points for which it is high time to be included in the framework of the aforementioned legislation.

We know well what has happened with this sector for many years. We know well how this sector has been ruined and what consequences in terms of costs our national economy has had, but also the household economy of anyone who consumes oil for its needs. We know well that what Albanians pay very often at gas stations does not comply with quality required by law and with what customers deserve, since they pay for it.

Therefore, we will start with the procedures of qualitative, quantitative and fiscal treatment and monitoring of maritime import of oil and its products, and from the first moment the arrival of a ship in the port is confirmed, a set of well-defined procedures will be applied by all institutions that I mentioned and which are described in detail in the Guidelines. It will continue with customs destinations, to monitor the stored product which will either move freely or on will be re-exported. However, from free movement to re-export there is still a very detailed plan that makes it impossible for what happened in many years to happen again, and as a result what has continued with inertia during this period, despite the improvements that have taken place, to continue happening.

Also, as far as procedures for the quantitative, qualitative and fiscal treatment, supervision and control in the cases of land import of oil and its derivatives are concerned, we have a detailed plan with a fully operational mechanism for it.

Wholesale trade has a very clear set of orientations for each of the institutions, to retail trade, where we have built a strong alliance with the customer in order to prevent fraud against those who consume oil for their own needs.

In addition, quantitative, qualitative and fiscal control procedures in cases of domestic production of oil, oil refineries, biofuel production units and processing plants petroleum products will undergo a rigorous audit that will fitfully comply with what is written in the laws and decisions taken so far by the current Albanian Government.

To continue with wholesale and retail trade, quantitative, qualitative and fiscal control procedures for export of domestic production. There is of course, another very important aspect related to companies of crude oil production, who also need to receive a very clear message today: There will be zero tolerance!

Further, it has also been determined how to exchange information among institutions in real time, and on how to notify violations and report in real time. The contact points that coordinate the whole operation in every institution, that stand at the highest institutional levels and are chaired by Minister of Economy and Minister of Energy, will provide real-time guidance for action.

This operation comes at a very important moment for our economy, when the turnabout we have started must continue and even at a very quick pace, since the sector bears a significant burden.

This operation uses the same methodology used by the new operation of electricity and the operation to stop occupation and illegal construction in the Republic of Albania. It is based on the experience of the recent 18 months, and on a thorough analysis done in the sector, as well as on a very clear project that will not stop, as didn’t stop and will not stop the two operations I mentioned previously.

It will not stop, because the struggle against looters of our national wealth and swindlers who sell to citizens oil of unacceptable quality, and who have affected for many years their investment in vehicles, is a vital battle for the national economy and for the economy of our families, but it is also a vital battle for the quality of our environment.

I mentioned this because, as I have done in the past, I think it is very important for this message to be conveyed clearly and unequivocally to the entire industry, and for the latter to understand that we will support anyone who builds in this sector and in all sectors of the economy, a fair venture based on law, and we will not agree with any venture that violates the law.

What have happened so far, whether to ordinary citizens whose vehicles have been destroyed, or to residents of areas where the industry has made significant damage, must end. We will end all this and will give everybody what they deserve: citizens and customers will have what they deserve as citizens of this country, which we have an obligation to improve every day and make it every day a more livable and more just place in terms of law enforcement. In addition, we wish everybody who works in this sector – which has become increasingly cleaner from the environmental point of view – to have increased profits from their work, but we tell them to not take this operation easily because, as I said, there will be zero tolerance and confrontation with the state and the law will be more fierce than ever.

Thank you for your attention! You will be informed on the progress of the operation on an ongoing basis.

Thank you!