The energy crisis was the focus of today’s Parliamentary debates. The
Minister of Energy, Damian Gjiknuri, considered the distribution system
as the weakest point of this sector and directly accused the former
Prime Minister, Sali Berisha.
“All this is due to your policy for an energy super power. All you created was an energy cadavre, and you are the main responsible. Nothing has been invested in these eight years in the distribution system. On the contrary, you created a huge financial gap with the failed privatization that we are all paying today”, Gjiknuri declared.
Another controversial issue was that of hydropower concessionaries. The former Prime Minister accused the government of bringing the energy sector to a failure, and of removing concessions to steal through import.
“The energy is being imported with a price three times higher. Local producers are discouraged while the government is terminating agreements with hydropower plant builders. There is an open war against those who would build and sell energy to the state with import prices, but more profitable. The report of the European Commission says that the payment balance is deteriorating due to the decreased remittances. Is it better to buy energy here with our currency, or in Europe with the same price?”, Basha declared.
The Socialist Party Parliament Member, Erjon Brace, accused the former government of giving permits to concessionaries who have not fulfilled the conditions, and also mentioned monopolies.
“The terminated agreements are those that were given to people who didn’t deserve them. They haven’t used the concessions for years, keeping the agreements just to trade them, as you taught them. As for the rest you can go and meet the local residents. You have given concessionary agreements that destroy the interests of our communities. Go and answer to the residents whose irrigation water is being taken. Go answer in Bulqize, Diber and Librazhd. If you want to talk about concessionaries, there are four that you have given for monopolies, and the Albanian people are paying 45 million EUR each year for them. None of this money goes to the government. It is all encased by your clients”, Brace declared.
Rama: CEZ, a burden for the government
The Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, accused the former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, of leaving the most failed privatization process. There is a failed distribution system and private hydropower plants have agreements to sell energy to the Albanian government with a higher price than the market.
“How can you say that your energy policy succeeded, when you have left a catastrophic situation. Besides the 1 billion USD debt between companies and banks, you have left a distribution company in the brink of bankruptcy, CEZ. You made the private company leave the privatization that you signed, while we asked you from the opposition to not do it. These are facts. Who is responsible? Us, who found a timed bomb here, or you who placed it? Your agreements are that governments should buy energy for several years with a fix price given by you, regardless of the market price, putting the government in a situation that only accumulates debts to the point of not being able to respond. No company should have been allowed to build hydropower plants with your concessions, and stay today plunged in debts and ask them from a government that for the energy system sector is also plunged in debts”, Rama declared.
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