The Transparency Board increased the price of fuel, Rama justifies it: It was not set arbitrarily

Edi Rama justifies the price increase, as fuel reaches 218 lekë, among the highest in the region.

Yesterday, the Transparency Board of Hydrocarbons decided to increase the price of diesel by 15 lekë and gasoline by 6 lekë in the retail market.

Diesel rose from 203 lekë to 218 lekë per liter. Gasoline increased from 175 lekë to 181 lekë per liter.

However, for the Prime Minister, Edi Rama, this is not an arbitrary decision, and the Transparency Board (whose function is to stabilize prices) has reflected the impact of the war on fuel prices in the market.

“The Board does not set the price arbitrarily; it only supervises,” said the Prime Minister.

According to the head of government, this is being done to prevent abuses, although it has only resulted in increases to the detriment of citizens.

“The Transparency Board immediately reflected even price decreases in the country, doing what it is tasked to do: setting price ceilings and preventing abuse of the situation at the expense of consumers.

What is important to understand is that this mechanism directly links prices in Albania to movements in international markets and not to unilateral decisions by local operators.

This means that, depending on price movements on the exchange, the Board consistently stands on the side of consumers, drivers, and citizens, maintaining clear boundaries between price increases that are objectively the result of international market movements—where Albania imports fuel from—and, on the other hand, abusive practices which, if given the opportunity, always take advantage.

I emphasize once again, the Board does not set fuel prices arbitrarily, nor does it lower prices in a way that would risk supply capacities; it simply supervises price movements and does not allow operators to act against consumers’ interests,” said Rama.

According to Rama, the Board’s role is to ensure transparency and to remain vigilant in preventing violations of its decisions, which, according to him, are accompanied by immediate measures up to the suspension of activity for operators who do not comply with the rules.

“So far, everything seems to be functioning as it should, but we will do everything possible so that, until the end of this situation—which does not depend on us—everything remains transparent and nothing excessive harms consumers,” Rama said.

With these mechanisms, however, the government has done nothing to help its citizens cope with the rising price crisis.

Fuel in Albania is sold at the highest price in the region. Lower prices are found in North Macedonia and Montenegro, where fuel is currently traded at around 1.6 euros per liter. In Kosovo, the price recently rose to 1.7–1.8 euros per liter, though just two days earlier it was around 1.6 euros per liter.

On average, a vehicle user in Albania pays 25–40% more for fuel than in other countries in the region.

With 2,000 lekë in Albania, you can buy about 9.3 liters of diesel, while in Montenegro, with the same amount (converted), you can get nearly 21 euros and buy 13.1 liters—about 42% more. The price difference is so high that even the time and extra fuel spent traveling to the border can be worth it.

In Albania, the element that adds the most to the fiscal burden is the circulation tax of 27 lekë per liter. The excise tax is fixed at 39.4 lekë per liter, and 3 lekë is the carbon tax. On top of these, VAT is applied at 20% of the final price (including other taxes), unlike in the region where VAT is not applied on top of other taxes.

“KORÇA BOOM”