Without the opposition's votes, the government approves the Bill on price ceilings

The Draft Law on Temporary Measures for Essential Products in Special Cases of Market Destabilization has been approved. The draft law passed without the votes of opposition parties. 

Arben Mustafa of the PDK said that the parliamentary group is not against it in principle, but against the way it was formed. Mustafa added that the draft law has uncertainties. 

"Even in the first reading, we have given our observations. We are not against a law that prevents or prohibits abuses in the market. However, the way this law is formulated leaves room for arbitrariness. It is unclear in which cases the market will be intervened. How will the reasonableness of the prices set by this law be determined. It is leaving room for a non-independent board to intervene in the market," said Mustafa. 

And, Janina Ymeri of LDK has also opposed the wording of the draft law, emphasizing that they are not against the initiative. 

"Things that we had concerns about, such as independence, methodology and margin, were not accepted. Some sentences were partially accepted due to legal opinion. Because this law may also be influenced by other private personal and party interests and risks being completely captured by the ruling party, it affects inadequate supply and economic stability, and we do not support the law. Not for the initiative but for the formulation of the law," Ymeri said.

Meanwhile, from AAK, Besnik Tahiri said that if the Government wanted to intervene against price increases, it would reduce excise duty and VAT. 

"First, if this government really had the will to intervene in the market, the easiest way would have been to make two decisions; to reduce excise duty and VAT, which would have had an impact on lowering prices in a situation when the market was destabilized and provoked by global developments. If there was truly political will, this would have been accomplished with two decisions. The second issue is the essential element that I think should be a prerequisite for free governance, accountability. There is no way for MINT to exist and then take responsibility for it by appointing a board. A parallel institution," said Tahiri.

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The Minister of Industry, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, then explained that the draft law is intended to be activated only in situations of market destabilization and only for certain products. 

"This law is intended to be activated only in situations of market destabilization and only for the 14 products specified in the basic basket law. It is not a draft law that includes the list of all products found in the market and sets their prices. If you have a contradiction, do you want a dependent or independent board? Is it the government's competence or not? The most accessible, easily applicable and constitutional idea and module has been a board that is selected through an open competition and by voting by the assembly, and the majority and minority in the Assembly are determined by the elections."