TIRANA, October 26 /ATA/ The Parliamentary Law Committee approved today the agreement of the Electricity Distribution Operator with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for financing with a value of 70 million Euros to cope with the situation created by the pandemic and the construction of a new substation in the centre of Tirana.
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Ilir Bejtja stated that this loan is taken out at a time that is related to the difficult international situation created due to rising energy prices. Due to the seasonal deformation of energy production, we have to cope with high imports so that to secure power supply.
“This enables us to move more freely in guaranteeing energy supply,” he said.
Meanwhile, OSHEE Administrator Ardian Çela said that 55 million Euros of loans from the EBRD will go to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and 15 million Euros for the new substation in the centre of Tirana that will serve the further development of this area.
He also spoke about the financial situation created by the pandemic.
“Losses in 2020, due to the pandemic were 4 billion Lekë, while there was a decrease in the level of receipts from 97 to 93.4%. Meanwhile, the level of investments fell to 63% “, said Çela.
Çela said that the situation was aggravated also due to the increase of consumption by the household consumer by 4%, while they pay with 9.5 lekë per kilowatt the energy from 10.7 lekë which is the average price.
Çela also focused on the transparency of the process of purchasing electricity in the market.
“Since 2017, the Free Market Supplier has implemented the auction platform, the most transparent platform that exists until the moment when the stock exchange will be active,” he said.
In answer of the question of the MPs about the level of debt that budgetary and non-budgetary institutions owe to OSHEE, Çelaj said that “The total debt is 20.3 billion lekë, of which 17 billion lekë are owed by water suppliers. ARMO’s debt is estimated at 2.4 billion lekë”./p.s./
