TIRANA, June 11 – Finance Minister Petrit Malaj responded in parliament to an interpellation requested by Opportunity Party leader Agron Shehaj regarding the collection of a financial penalty of around EUR 120 million from Bankers Petroleum.
Malaj reviewed the history of the case and stressed the need to distinguish between political claims and the legal and institutional procedures followed by Albanian authorities.
According to the minister, authorities signed a hydrocarbons agreement in June 2004 for the exploitation of the Patos-Marinza oilfield by the company that now operates as Bankers Petroleum Albania. The agreement granted several fiscal incentives, including an excise exemption for energy products used in crude oil extraction.
However, fiscal package amendments removed that exemption on April 1, 2014. The customs administration later informed the company of an unpaid excise obligation related to diluent used in hydrocarbon operations. The initial liability amounted to ALL 589 million, Malaj said.
The company challenged the decision in court. The dispute continued for nearly a decade before the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the customs administration in March 2022.
Meanwhile, a separate customs inspection in May 2019 identified an additional liability of ALL 3.09 billion. Malaj said the total obligation reached ALL 12.48 billion after authorities added penalties.
The company also challenged that assessment through the courts. In December 2025, the judiciary again ruled in favour of the customs administration.
According to the minister, the company did not hold the full amount of around EUR 120 million in its accounts when authorities began collection procedures. As a result, the sides agreed on an instalment payment plan for a liability of around ALL 3 billion.
The repayment process has already started. Malaj said authorities have collected USD 1.5 million so far.
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