The company “Salillari” has been fined by the Durrës Customs with a total liability of around 5.1 million euros, after finding violations in the procedures for importing fuel for the construction of the NATO Air Base in Kuçovë. According to decision no. 626 of the customs authorities, the company had imported over 1.32 million kilograms of oil, benefiting from the tax exemption regime for NATO projects, but without the necessary documentation for this quantity.
From the controls carried out in Porto Romano and the verifications in the ASYCUDA customs system, it resulted that the company had not presented the specific authorization of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the exemption from fiscal obligations. For this reason, Customs has calculated 156 million lek in unpaid obligations, which include excise duty, VAT, turnover tax and carbon tax. For the administrative violation classified as negligence, the company has also been imposed a fine of 312 million lek, bringing the total bill to 468 million lek.
Representatives of the company “Salillari” have contested the decision, refusing to sign the minutes and arguing that the imports were covered by the agreement between Albania and NATO. However, the customs authorities have not accepted this claim, leaving the financial obligation in force. The case is related to one of the most important military infrastructure projects in the country, the Kuçova Air Base, which was inaugurated in March 2024.
