Malaj: The "Bankers" case was handled with full legal chronology, the state has won all the court battles
The Minister of Finance, Petrit Malaj, has presented the progress of the Bankers Petroleum Albania case in a chronological manner, emphasizing that the process must be understood in its entirety before any conclusion on financial obligations.
According to the minister, the initial agreement for the exploitation of the Patos-Marinëz field was signed in June 2004 for a 25-year term and provided for fiscal incentives, including exemptions from excise duty on products used in the crude oil extraction processes, valid until April 1, 2014.
Following the fiscal changes of this date, these exemptions were removed and the customs administration began interpretations and controls on the products used, including the diluent, which became the subject of disputes with the company.
In September 2014, Customs announced a liability of 589 million lek for unpaid excise duty, which was contested by the company in court, opening a legal process that lasted about 10 years until the Supreme Court.
In March 2022, the Supreme Court granted the customs administration the right to collect excise duty on products used in hydrocarbon processes.
In parallel, another audit was conducted in 2019, where a new obligation of 3.09 billion lek and a fine of about 9 billion lek were imposed, for a total of 12.48 billion lek, which was suspended due to ongoing legal proceedings.
In 2021, the case was also included in an international arbitration process, which in June 2024 ruled in favor of the Albanian state. This decision was further confirmed in December 2024 by international courts, reaffirming the state's position.
In September 2025, the customs administration resumed the procedures for the execution of obligations, while the company again requested suspension measures in the Albanian courts until December 2025, when the courts granted the state authorities the right to continue the execution.
According to the minister, after this decision, the debt collection phase began, while the company did not have the full amount of around 120 million euros in bank accounts for immediate blocking.
Currently, according to the Ministry of Finance, an agreement has been reached to repay the debt of about 3 billion lek (about 30 million euros), which is being paid in installments according to an agreed schedule, starting with monthly payments of 350 thousand to 973 thousand dollars.
Minister Malaj emphasized that this issue is the result of a long legal and institutional process, during which the Albanian state has defended its interests in both domestic and international courts, winning at all major levels of review.
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