espite having the lowest incomes in Balkan, Albanians pay higher electricity bills.
The International Monetary Fund agrees that Albania’s energy price is the highest in the region, besides Croatia.
The International Monetary Fund says that Albanian consumers are currently paying 12 Euro-cent per kw/h, including taxes. The price in Bulgaria and Montenegro is 9 cent. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, consumers by 8 cent. The only Western Balkan country where citizens pay more is Croatia, 13 cent. But the incomes in Croatia are 2.2 times bigger than Albania.
The Energy Regulation Entity announced a few days ago that they would review the fees in their efforts to fix the crisis with this sector. But as the International Monetary Fund comparison has shown, the energy sector is not in a crisis because the Albanian people are paying a low price. The real cause is related to its administration, as the government admits.
“Our country loses 200 million USD each year from energy thefts. It is a very high price”, declared the Minister of Energy, Damian Gjiknuri.
Energy losses in five years reach 1 billion USD, according to the Minister of Energy. But this is not the only abuse. The system is facing another abuse, that of high prices coming from agreements with private hydropower plants, signed by the former government. These costs are also being paid by the citizens through the financial ruing of the KESH company and budget subventions.
This is the situation of this sector. Millions of dollars in abuses that could have been used for making a lower price. A massive abusive chaos which raises the question if it is right that the cost of a bad management of this sector goes to the correct citizens.
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