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Gerion Treska
When the status impedes you from bankrupt
Somehow overshadowed and being shown only by some media the ARMO case turns into a gangrene that has reached its peak with a debt of 400 million USD, from which 207 million USD of credit are to be paid to banks and 53 million USD in the form of liabilities to tax authorities.
With a history of passing shares from one company to another and a minority stakeholder state almost inexistent in his role, ARMO association finds itself today in a grave financial situation from which it is difficult to have the status that is given by the sector classification law where this association is part of, the strategic sector.
Exactly this last one is the “catch” which ARMO avoids to give a solution to its financial situation. According to National Center for Registration law for bankruptcy, ARMO should have started the provided bankruptcy procedures by now, so the Tax General Directorate should ask the court opening of bankruptcy procedures. The bankruptcy law stops the opening of the procedures for the strategic sector. The only solution to this problem is the declassification of the oil industry as a sector, but this should be with a special law approved by the Congress. If this could be enabled to avoid part of the debt, ARMO will be able to open bankruptcy procedures.
Many scenarios are being speculated and suggested but no signal or response seems to come from the government. Of course this is a financial hole on which all other governments have contributed little by little playing with different elements during the life evolution phases of ARMO.
However the solution is expected from the government, creating a law for the declassification of the strategic sector, no other real solution is expelled which can save this giant from so many years of suffering. The supervising objective remains on how the government will provide a solution to the case, which could have been a powerful source of income for the Albanian state.
A debt for a debt
If we recall the flooding in Shkodra district in 2010-2011, the images from damages are still fresh in Albanians’ minds. But the debt that the government owes to citizens remains completely unpaid, even though 5 years have passed.
There is very little information about the process of compensation during these years, because the payment or non-payment mixes with the politicizied media, which tends to distort the truth leaving behind misleads and disinformation. However, what we learned from the Energy and Industry Minister is that part of the unpaid compensation from the government for the flooding is 222,416,775 ALL.
But at the same time the government is dedicated to collect in different ways the debt coming from electrical bills, especially in troubled zones like Shkodra. For this, the Electrical Energy Distribution Operator (OSHEE) has made reconciliation between the list from the Civil Emergencies for citizens affected by the floodings and the list of OSHEE debtors. According to Minister Gjiknuri, settling a debt with debt, the citizens affected from the floodings have agreed to pay their debt to OSHEE through the credit coming from compensation. OSHEE offices have opened applications for this process, doing the proper reconciliation of data.
When the energy debt is bigger then the compensation from the state, the parties (citizens-OSHEE) are supposed to solve the debt difference situation according to the term and conditions provided by the contract of energy supply. What Minister Gjiknuri doesn’t clarify are the cases when the state compensation is bigger then the electrical bills debt, exluding completely this scenario. Of course this is a smart solution, which according to Minister Gjiknuri has been welcomed by citizens. Somehow, ctizens chose this deal not because they don’t want the money, but they were sceptic about the probability of owning that money.
After all, this fact shows that the intelligence of this government when searching for solutions, finds a proper one. And if there are cases pending, it doesn’t mean the government is not able to solve them, it is just that they don’t want or the priority is very low. Congratulating for the abovementioned solution, we wish that this government, different from the previous, behaved with proper intelligence for the purpose of serving the people. After all this is why we go to elections.
References
1- Webi i Agjencisë se Prokurimeve Publike
http://acp.al/news/1012/Zbardhet-falimenti-i-ARMO-s,-piramida-267-mln-dollare-e-borxheve/
2- Webi zyrtar i Ministrise se Energjise dhe Industrise
3- Vizion+ TV, Lajme.
http://vizionplus.al/armo-drejt-mbylljes-mbi-200-mln-borxhe-ne-tatime/
4. Top Channel TV, Lajme
http://www.top-channel.tv/lajme/artikull.php?id=301436