The debates for Albpetrol privatization, the state owned oil company,
heated up after the majority proposed a last minute law amend.
The change proposed by MP Edmond Spaho increases the number of oil resources that will be sold the private operator.
“If areas A and B will be given to Albpetrol, what sacrilege is there if we add another area to the list? Which is the problem here, when those gentlemen have approved the A and B lists to Albpetrol? Why are they screaming against another list?”, Spaho declared.
The law was previously voted only with two lists, A and B, which had determined the oil reserve to be sold to the private operator.
With this unexpected proposition, the majority added another list, the so called List C, which doesn’t clearly specify what other additional oil resources will be included in it, since it will be planned only after the law will be approved by a government decision.
“The agreement between the Ministry and Albpetrol, known as the Albpetrol Agreement, doesn’t have a List C, but only Lists A and B. List A has the oil, gas and bitumen resources, while List B has the resources of gas, more specifically, that of Delvina. What does the List C hide? Which are the resources of the List C”, asked the Socialist MP, Erjon Brace.
“The Delvine area was given through an agreement, together with two other areas, Panaja and Velca. We are asking to return to Albpetrol an area C, which is the area between Durres and Tirana. There is no secret here, for you and the Albanians. This doesn’t come with the law, Mr. Brace, but it will be made with a Council of Minister’s decision. It will be part of all documentations that will be privatized”, declared the Minister of Economy, Trade and Energy, Nasip Naco.
The unprecedented formula of the Albpetrol sale is turning into one of the most controversial public asset privatization. For the first time, the government is transferring to private operators not only the physical assets, but also the special rights that until now have been an exclusive asset of the state.
“We will never accept that the rights of the biggest oil resources in Europe will be managed, possessed and abused by a private company, no matter how prestigious it might be. This is where we have different point of views”, Mimi Kodheli declared.
Albania is the only country of the region that has rich amounts of oil and even in Europe as continent. The Patos Marinza oil resource could have 30 million tons of reserves.
The Albpetrol privatization gives an end to the oil history as public asset, which will now be completely transferred to private operators, not only as a physical asset, but with all the special rights, the special benefits that the state receives from foreign companies that have concession agreements to exploit the oil wells, what in technical language are called the production share and oil as profit. With the Albpetrol sale, the government will receive from the oil companies only the Mining income support and the Tax on Profit.
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