ARMO’s block, Doda: Solution from the state. Parties in dialogue

Viktor Doda, former Minister of Industry and Energy in 2002-2005, calls the stance of the departing government arrogant and absurd against ARMO, by blocking work in the refinery only with a verbal directive. According to him, this action raises a lot of doubts on the tax administration, which has a task to carry out the law, not to behave arbitrarily. According to Doda, this, apart from the social cost, seriously damages business and the economy, by stopping the production and processing of oil in the country.

“State structures send a verbal order to a business, such a company as ARMO to block the activity. Suspicions begin from here. There is no way for a state structure to address a businsss to block it with a verbal order. They should address it in writing, where they have to say they have violated the laws, what they require and how the business should reply,” says Doda.

He suggests the government to create a partnership with business, which will bring the solution.

“This is not done in the interest of the business, on the contrary. If it was done in the interest of the business, there is no need to send them a verbal order. You should sit with business. The government should have a partnership with business,” says Doda.

As an expert of the oil sector, Doda does now hide his amazement for the behaviour of the state against ARMO, where the state has shares.

“The government is part of the actions and this is a very important strategic sector. Since the first moments, when employees were not in protests, the government should have sat and negotiated with the company. This company has a very great weight because is a strategic company and maybe there are other interest, outside of the business or state interests,” says Doda.

If he would be the Minister of Economy in this situation, he says that now he would have gathered parties in a meeting.

“I would immediately delegate respective staffs to come together and meet. What has come up, why did it came up, what do you think? A compromise should be found. Business related issued should be treated carefully”, says Doda.

According to him, the block of the refineries makes the prices go up, bringing the suspicion that this maneuver may aim facilitation for other companies clients of the government.

“Directly or indirectly we are consumers of the product, because it is the strategic material of the economy. If we would produce in the refinery of Ballsh, as well as in Fier, all our domestic produce, and it is a lot, we would use that to control the market. A liter of oil in a distributor is nearly 200 new Leks. This produce would be best to be absorbed in the market,” says Doda.

For three weeks, the tax administrator has stationed its cars, some of them without plates, in front of the refinery in Fier. Work has stopped. This led the employees to protests, which will escalate to Tirana. Employees are determined to wake the government from the departing sleep.

TV Albanian Screen, 27.07.2013