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Ibrahimaj: Daily monitoring of fuel prices, if the increase continues, the Transparency Board will be reinstated - Ekofin
2026-03-11 23:19:06 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE
The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, announced that the government is monitoring fuel prices in the country on a daily basis, while the return of intervention mechanisms in the event of further increases is not ruled out.
In a statement to the media after the Council of Ministers meeting, Ibrahimaj said that there was a lengthy discussion about the economic situation and specifically about fuel prices, which have increased over the last week, influenced by the crisis and developments in the Middle East.
Ibrahimaj informed that a meeting was held yesterday with the main fuel traders and the Hydrocarbons Association to discuss the rapid increase in prices and to emphasize the obligation that companies have to maintain mandatory reserves, in order to avoid any emergency situation in supply.
The minister announced that institutions are monitoring price developments at several market levels every day, including international stock exchange prices for oil, gasoline and gas entering the country, the price at which fuel is cleared through customs, as well as the retail market trading price.
She recalled that Albania went through a similar situation during the 2022–2023 crisis, when a special mechanism, the Transparency Board, was created to monitor and determine wholesale and retail fuel prices.
"We believe that the situation is not yet at the level of establishing the Transparency Board, however, we are monitoring on a daily basis and if we have further price increases, we will have to enter that regime," said Ibrahimaj.
The minister explained that monitoring includes analyzing stock exchange prices obtained from the international Platts platform, to which the customs administration has access, as well as comparing these prices with those at which wholesale companies clear fuel and with the prices that appear on the retail market.
According to her, the goal is to understand whether companies' profit margins reflect the reality of international prices or whether there are abusive tendencies and speculation in the market.
Ibrahimaj stressed that the government cannot intervene in stock market prices, as they are international and determined by the global market, but institutions can monitor the market to identify any potential abuse.
Responding to the question of why the price of oil in Albania is higher than in some countries in the region, the minister explained that one of the main factors is the way the circulation tax is applied. According to her, unlike other countries in the region where this tax is paid on the vehicle, in Albania it is paid on the fuel.
This scheme, according to Ibrahimaj, better reflects reality, as vehicles that circulate and consume more fuel pay more taxes, while those that are used less pay less.
Regarding possible interventions in other taxes such as excise or carbon tax, the minister emphasized that there is currently no situation that requires such measures, adding that excise constitutes one of the main components of the price, at around 40 lek per liter.
She also announced that the verifications carried out and the documentation of the customs administration show that fuel importing companies have the legally required reserves available and that their suppliers guarantee the continuity of the supply chain.
According to Ibrahimaj, the fact that prices react quickly is related to the way the market functions, as reserves are stored in customs warehouses and supplies are carried out on a daily basis, while the price exiting customs reflects the daily stock exchange price and relevant taxes.
The Minister emphasized that the government will continue daily monitoring of the situation and, if prices reach very high levels, the necessary measures will be taken.
At the same time, she announced that in parallel with fuel prices, the prices of the main products of the consumer basket are also being monitored, to identify any speculative trends that may come as a chain effect from the increase in transportation costs.
Ibrahimaj underlined that Albania operates in a market economy regime, where prices are determined by demand and supply, but institutions have the obligation to monitor the market and guarantee that there is no speculation or abuse of prices.
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