FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Within a few days, the retail price of oil at several gas stations in Tirana has increased twice. The increase is justified by the increase in oil prices on international stock exchanges, as a result of the war in the Middle East.
This Friday, a liter of diesel is costing up to 184 lek, and gasoline is the same. While in some other companies, from 175 lek a liter the day before, today a liter is being sold for 182 lek.
For experts, this rapid move clearly shows abuse, as oil companies must have reserves that do not allow for an immediate increase in price after they have been purchased cheaper.
The Hydrocarbons Association explains that the price of oil is set at the stock exchange's daily prices. According to them, importers buy oil on the stock exchange, bring it and lock it in their customs warehouses without clearing it, and on the day they put it on the market, they set the price at the stock exchange. This practice automatically increases the retail price of oil for consumers, reports ' Report Tv "
Businesses see the solution to this situation in temporarily reducing fuel taxes. Today, a liter of diesel is subject to 4 taxes: excise duty, VAT, carbon tax and circulation tax, which ultimately amounts to 103.8 lek per liter, which is tax.
This increase in oil prices comes at a time when companies have not reflected any changes in the market for more than a year as a result of the depreciation of the dollar. The US currency, with which oil is imported, has depreciated by at least 10% in the last 12 months.
But should the state intervene in these moments, as happened in Kosovo, where a ceiling was set for the price of oil, and the increase will be covered by the state?!
The Albanian government has been put into action after having gathered companies from this sector in a meeting two days ago to discuss the situation. The meeting was held behind closed doors between several ministries and representatives of the sector, to discuss the impact that the war could have on the Albanian market. So far, there has been no decision on whether to intervene or on the formula for intervention in the market.
In a similar situation, in 2022, the government established the Transparency Board that set prices and company profits, which, despite being sent to the Constitutional Court by the opposition, still remained in force as 'legal'.
The price of crude oil on the stock exchange peaked at $89 per barrel, up from $72 per barrel on February 27, when Israel and the US had not yet launched the attack on Iran.
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