The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, stated that Thursday’s meeting of the Transparency Board, following the increase in fuel prices, aimed to discuss and set maximum trading prices based on the legislation in force.

“Yesterday we convened the Transparency Board with the aim of discussing prices and setting maximum trading prices in accordance with the applicable legislation,” Ibrahimaj said during a press conference.

She emphasized that the method of setting prices is based on data from the previous day’s stock exchange, where a calculation is made including all fuel trading costs, with an added margin of 3 lek for wholesale and 12 lek for retail.

“The margins, when calculated in 2022, are minimal—not profit margins, but intended to cover the main expenses that companies have,” the minister explained, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring. Ibrahimaj clarified that the Board has no set deadline for ending its activity.

“With the establishment of the Board, we will continuously monitor prices. In a situation where prices are steadily increasing, we are transparent and will not allow abuse or speculation in pricing. We will keep the Board active until prices stabilize to pre-crisis levels, provided that the markets also return to pre-crisis levels. As for support measures for vulnerable groups, fuel has a weight of 2% in the consumption basket,” she said.