Confindustry For Oil Pump

Confindustry For Oil Pump

Confindustry is urging the government to withdraw from the unsolicited concession for the privatization of the fuel gauge control service: calling it a completely unjustified process and suggesting that it is in complete opposition to the public interest in the long term.

In an announcement issued by Confindustry, it states: “In all the accompanying legal acts, there is no financial explanation for reducing the long-term abuses and benefits for the economy, state budget, businesses and citizens."

“70 million euros will be issued by the state budget on behalf of the private monopoly against an investment estimated at only 500,000 euros.”

In the meantime, Confindustry estimates that with the loss of financial service revenues, state institutions will not have any practical, technological or worker-based opportunities to control the contract enforcement by the private operator. Stating:

“The private monopoly concessionaire would be able to operate without fear of inspections or verifications by state agencies while certain operators could together abuse the number of sales to the detriment of consumers, thus leaving them completely unprotected.

“In practice, it would render the government's right meaningless to unilaterally break the contract even if within 12 months a violation by the private company occurs,”

Moreover, Confindustry suggests that any such delivery of state responsibilities for consumer protection to the hands of a private monopoly threatens to have far-reaching financial consequences for the national economy: Including for citizens, businesses, the state budget and even competition between operators.

Switching to a private monopoly carries significant risks which could increase the abuses of fuel sales to citizens and businesses, which are currently in the range of 20-25 million euro per year, and in effect, exacerbate the final price.

It is no secret that fuel prices in the country are high. Data shows that Albania, despite being one of the poorest countries of the region, is nevertheless among the top 25 countries in the world with the highest fuel prices.

 

EMISIONET