Fiks Fare / The state gave a concession to control the gas pumps, investments of millions of euros are thrown “in the bin”

On August 21, 2019, the Albanian government granted a concession to verify fuel pumps. The implementation of this concession agreement started in March 2020, while the title of the concession is “periodic verification of fuel and liquefied gas distributors”.

According to the documents available to the show “Fiks Fare”, the winner of this concession is the company “Noa Inspect”, which has received verification of these fuel pumps for a period of 20 years and to collect the revenues from the collection of service fees of metrological verification. Prior to March 2020, this service was provided by the General Directorate of Metrology, which had also made the relevant investments.

Fiks Fare journalists went to the DPM, where the employees raised their hands, as they said that “the service is provided on concession”. According to them, the concession was given to the NOA firm and currently “all activity is outside the offices of the General Directorate of Metrology”. “It has nothing to do with us, our machines are ours. He has received his own equipment to exercise his activity. That means there is no agreement with us, “said the employees.

But even after this government initiative, the first problems have started. The Supreme State Audit has checked the concession agreement, where it has found a series of violations. “The exclusion made to the public institution risks making the measuring instruments uncontrollable. The service is delegated through concession without providing security to monitor.

The inspector of ISHMT has been deprived of the right to block the instrument, when this instrument is verified by the concessionaire. The legislator cannot be sure that the concessionaire will block an instrument, which he has already verified himself! ” says KLSH, while writing that the concessionaire, even if he can not perform periodic inspections, has a safe profit! But, this does not happen for the state budget, as the concession contract does not prescribe the measures it should take if the revenues are not realized!

KLSH writes that there are violations for monitoring as well. “The Office of the Ministry has 3 employees, a lawyer and an economist. Other private entities are even authorized to perform metrological services. So we have a private entity, which has been given a concession verification service and on the other hand private entities, which have been given the authorization to perform metrological verification, “says in the report KLSH.

Fiks Fare journalists went to the General Directorate of Metrology, which performed this service before the concession. He had even invested millions of lek and euros.

The DPM had purchased 9 auto-laboratories, which went near the gas stations and measured the amount of these pumps. Fiks Fare filmed the vehicles that are still in the Directorate of Metrology, which said that these vehicles have come to this directorate from 2009 to 2020, while the value of all vehicles has been full 63 million ALL.

DPM also has a truck that measures the amount of gas. This vehicle came to the Directorate of Metrology in 2011. So, the 9 vehicles, where 6 of which are currently at the DPM, came after 2009, while 3 such vehicles, which measure the amount of fuel , went to ISHTI (State Technical Industrial Inspectorate).

The Supreme State Audit, in the last report, has ordered the directorate of Metrology, that these vehicles that measure the amount of fuel, go to the state reserves.

According to KLSH, for the performance of this service, during the period 2009-2014, 63,975,994 ALL have been invested in the purchase of 9 auto-laboratories and necessary equipment (series of standard volumetric stainless steel dishes). 9 metrological specialists have been hired, with an average salary of 61,000 ALL / month ”.

In the end, KLSH writes that “the concession has led that the investments made in DPM in the amount of 63,975,994 ALL for the purchase of auto-laboratories and equipment no longer serve the purpose for which they were spent, making them ineffective and inefficient ”.

Metrology says that, before this concession was granted, there were over 12 thousand gas pumps in all of Albania. According to them, the fee for the verification service of a distributor is 6,000 ALL or 7,200 ALL with VAT. It turns out that in 1 year, an amount of 1.5 million euros was collected.

But, now that the private sector has received it for 20 years, the entire amount they are expected to collect is full 30 million euros. But only for periodic checks. After all, if we add other controls, the amount goes to 60 million euros.

Fiks Fare journalists also went to the concession company “NOA Inspect”, where the employees said that “the control is done once in 6 months”. According to employees, if an entity opens a gas station it should do the regimen. After the regime is the weighing. “But if you are going to open the fuel, you normally need the technical certification, which is in technical condition. We issue the technical certification, insurance. We also issue the certificate, if we need the previous certificate to rely on it. Projects. These you have and then of course the weighing.

You have the weighting from NOA Inspect, because it is a concession for 20 years that has been taken from us. You weigh 7,200 lekë as it was before for a pistol. 72 thousand ALL (old). You will not need the project, the insurance is around 150 thousand lekshi. The certification is 600 thousand ALL. That’s it. Only we check the pistol, if it locks, and repairs it or how it repairs it and then gets tested. These are, ”says the employee.

But, two years after the concession of this service, where the Albanian state has lost millions of euros from the collection of the fee for periodic control of fuel pumps, the Ministry of Finance has received a request from the concessionaire to increase the fee. The Minister of Finance, Delina Ibrahimaj, appeared at a press conference and admitted that the request of the concessionaire Noa Inspect is being considered. The Minister of Finance said that a technical working group is being taken. The concessionaire has demanded a doubling of the pump control fee.

Earlier we analyzed only the periodic control, where it turned out that the profit from 12 thousand 425 pumps was full 30 million euros for 20 years. Meanwhile, with doubling the price, the amount will reach 60 million euros. But only for periodic checks. After all, for the controls, the amount is expected to go over 100 million euros! However, even if we have a price increase of 50%, the profits are still many times higher, as the amount will go to 75 million euros!

So, the concessionaire, with only an investment of 600 thousand euros, is expected to take from the state coffers an amount from 75 to 100 million euros. But, the amount can be increased. After all, the Ministry of Finance is discussing the amendment of the law on metrology, where the beneficiary is the concessionaire. Currently, the control of fuel deposits is done by Metrology, which takes from companies a sum of 72 thousand ALL for 1 stamp.

With the change of the law, the control and collection of the tariff is expected to pass to the concessionaire. But, the concessionaire, not only will receive the fee of this seal, but is aiming for these seals to be placed in every gas station as well.

So, if currently 1 fuel has 1 deposit and pays 7 thousand 200 ALL, if the law is changed, it will pay five times. The amount will go to the concessionaire’s pocket. In the end, those affected are consumers, who pay for 1 liter of fuel or gas 7 types of taxes, concession fees and VAT.

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