MIET is working to implement the Law on Trade in Petroleum Products and Renewable Fuels, which entered into force on 13 March 2022. MIET is ensuring proper supervision of the oil market by acting through the Market Inspectorate and working closely with Kosovo Customs.
Lately, Customs has conducted analyses and controls on 4 entities that deal with the processing of petroleum products, and has found numerous irregularities that hinder supervision, endanger the quality of products and may harm the state budget. Consequently, the Customs has suspended the authorizations or has not extended the authorizations to these subjects.
Some of the entities have sold petroleum products to unlicensed companies and have not used verified measuring instruments, and have avoided excise by misrepresenting the composition of the product. These actions and omissions constitute violations of the law. Therefore, MIET has revoked or suspended the permits of these entities the import of raw material, storage of raw material and the final product, as well as the wholesale of the final product – which is heavy oil or mazut. The license for import of heavy oils has also been suspended for one entity.
To the same entity, MIET is now conducting procedures for fraud with the quality of fuel, which the entity has sold to public institutions. In recent weeks, we have taken and tested several diesel samples at Kosovo Security Force barracks, and found many cases of nonconformity. In one case we found diesel with a sulphur content of 77.4 mg / kg, which exceeds many times the allowed level of 10 mg / kg.
MIET is also informing the prosecution about these cases. The quality of oil is extremely important for the state security, public health and the environment!
In the meantime, the Market Inspectorate is working intensively to enforce the law of oil. In cooperation with the Customs and Tax Administration, the Inspectorate has found that a large number of sellers have exceeded the allowed trade margin that has been set by the decision of the Government. It has therefore issued written orders to comply with the decision and has initiated minor offence proceedings in court to fine law violators.
In addition to the above-mentioned efforts, MIET is working on the preparation of bylaws provided by the new law on oil.
