TIRANA, Dec 30 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama stated on Thursday that “while the surrounding countries have increased energy prices for the consumer or are preparing for yet another price increase, we have stuck by our plan that we will become a shield for the household consumer and small business”.
In the year-end press conference, Prime Minister Rama, focusing on the energy crunch, said that “I see fit to start from the global energy crisis that is challenging all countries and a raging wave of prices that has recently reached 450 euros per megawatt, while in the same period of the previous year it was an average of 100 euros per megawatt from 85, 92, 100 to 120. 450 euros per megawatt is a mind-boggling.
This crisis, which I warned some time ago and the warning was interpreted as a false alarm, does not seem to have a clear end since June was talked about, but no one today can confirm this fact or this hypothesis. While the complexity of the crisis goes from geopolitics to different climate effects, underlined Rama.
PM announced that “while we are talking, Minister Balluku is holding a hearing with some representatives of companies that are linked to the medium voltage, for which full liberalization in these conditions means an exponential price increase.
Meanwhile, Rama said, we are drawing up a support scheme even for them.
How come we have managed to maintain these parameters. It is because we have addressed the crisis with a reform of the supply scheme. So far we are confident at least for the period until June, while we predict a mitigating effect but cannot be accurate about the mitigating effect on the region during the months of March-April , added Rama.
Rama added that we will continue to protect the household consumer.
“Governments are judged based on what happens, but in the medium and long run they are judged for what is not allowed to happen. “For me, stopping the tide of this crisis from turning against the household consumer, small businesses and medium businesses is one of the tasks of this government.
Rama said that “suffice it to look at Kosovo, which is in the clutches of a crisis that for objective reasons in my opinion may be related to certain policies over the years. This is for all those who said there is no crisis, this is an attempt to divert attention.
Today we are able not only to guarantee the supply of energy for citizens, companies, to do this not only without restrictions, but also without increasing prices. And to give Kosovo the opportunity to have uninterrupted supply of energy during two days of New Year’s Eve. It is not easy at all, but I think and believe that in times of need and joy we must share with Kosovo what we have, stressed Rama.
With respect to addressing the energy problem in the long run, Rama said that our ambition is that within this decade, in the vision Albania 2030, Albania will become a net exporter of energy, a country that meets the domestic demand for energy and sells energy to others by making an epoch-making leap. ”
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