“The situation is very difficult. We want to be some kind of solidarity and agreement from you,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said while inspecting some supermarkets in Tirana on Sunday.
According to him, the state can not interfere in prices, but a compromise must be made by traders.”Oil is a big problem. We did not ask for prices to start losing suppliers, as it is gone into collapse,” he said.Accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Delina Ibrahimaj, Rama said that in these moments, when the price of oil on the stock exchange has increased again, he added that the government will not impose taxes on small business. He demanded that businesses be in solidarity. “This is a difficult period for everyone. Despite the wrong tendency to blame the producersy and the traders, we are in that negative, anti-capitalist spirit at the moment. On the other hand, people who have all this stress should also be understood. What we need to do is not allow abuse. The prices should be such that you do not get into trouble, but make a minimum profit. But not to take advantage of the situation as it is in normal time,” said the premier.Further Rama repeated his objection to the persistent demand to lift government taxes on fuels. According to retailers and citizens more than half of fuels price goes for government taxes which are so many and some do not make sense.Rama justifies his stance by saying the energy price has not increased.
“But you pay the same for the energy. If we get the real bill, it’s too high and there would be lay-offs. So we have undertaken not to increase your taxes,” Rama said. /Argumentum.al
