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Oil producer Olim fined USD 3 million
declared late Tuesday night that his company was charged with “a huge
fine of USD 3 million”.
requiring that we pay USD 3 million in taxes and late fees on fines
before we are restored the right to import from the Port of Durres
again”, Mene said.
On the other side, the Durres Customs’ General Director, Arben
Bajraktari, said that: “Olim has a debt of ALL 275 million plus ALL 59
million in interests owed to the Durres Customs according to an
executive order issued by the Durres District Court”.
This debt was acquired in 2002, when an unrefined oil shipment imported
to be processed by Olim resulted was analyzed by the customs laboratory
and reported to be refined oil instead.
In 2002, the customs duty for refined oil was 10% meanwhile that for
unrefined oil was just 2%. That fiscal difference, owed by Olim, was
estimated at ALL 257 million (about EUR 2.5 million).
However, later due to company complaints, the Albanian Customs
Administration asked the Italian customs to help conduct another set of
analysis on the imported oil, which resulted, as claimed by Olim, to be
unrefined oil. Nonetheless, last year the Durres customs insisted on
its decision leading up to an executive order issued by the Durres
District Court.
Just two days ago, according to company officials, the Durres customs
blocked a shipment of 2,000 tons of unrefined oil originating from
Ukraine, estimated at USD 1.2 million. The action was taken to require
payment of all custom duty obligations by Olim, estimated at ALL 257
million and ALL 59 million in late fees. Meanwhile, this shipment was
estimated at just USD 300,000 according to Durres customs authorities.
Company officials interpreted this act as, a political attack enacted
by the new right-wing government which officially came to power just
ten days ago, while the new Customs General Director had been nominated
only a week earlier.
