Newspapers and magazines in the grip of high taxes
Albania’s four leading newspapers: “Gazeta Shqiptare”, “Shekulli”, “Albania”, “Koha Jonë” and the magazine “Klan” are asking the Government and Parliament to abolish the taxes that are not applied anywhere else in the world
ODIHR’s warnings fall on the Media
By Ed. Llesi
Parliament, in order to approve the newly prepared report, which cannot be reconciled with Albanian legislation, shows that the press in Albania continues to be monopolized in favor of the government. A path dictated by 5 points to the Media. This introduction, especially at two moments, has been included to define precisely the picture from which the media in Albania is seen before the governing coalition. From the last elections, from the coming to power of Nano and the arrival in power of Prime Minister Ilir Meta, and on the other hand from an OSCE delegation a few days ago. In other words, the media changed in non-qualitative terms under the government. Did ownership change? No. Only the attitude toward non-government newspapers changed. Today in Albania the main independent media are paying the fiscal price to the state. This is the appointment of commissions and the challenge of these days for the Government, which as early as in its quarterly report and as presented by the OSCE in Tiranë. But apparently the Government still has not taken this conclusion seriously, while speaking in a posed manner about a different position in the work of the KLD regarding the appointment of three others.
The whole system during this not-so-calm period in relation to press freedom has come from the political attacks that have been made on journalist Vitali Lesi. This has to do with the report prepared before the elections and is linked to highlighting newspapers critical of the government. Nevertheless, despite the attacks and criticism, what emerges is that the independent newspapers are today under the pressure of a discriminatory fiscal regime.
At a time when in '99, the approved fees by the government were 0 percent for VAT and customs taxes, now in the new version 6 percent VAT for newspapers is a matter of appointment [?]. Likewise, the electoral code, which is currently under review by the institutional CEC [sic], is presenting a similar scheme for newspapers and other media. According to the data, both in Brussels and in Paris and Stuttgart, governments are interested in keeping the media free from fiscal burdens in order to guarantee its public functioning.
On the other hand, in the request submitted to the Assembly and the Government, the main media are asking for the abolition of VAT as well as a significant reduction of customs tariffs on newsprint. These requests have been presented by “Gazeta Shqiptare”, “Shekulli”, “Albania”, “Koha Jonë” and the magazine “Klan”.