ICC issues stop order injunction of Albanian tax assessment in favour of Bankers Petroleum

The Tribunal constituted by the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) has issued a stop order requiring the Albanian tax department to revoke the suspension of Bankers Petroleum Ltd.’s (“Bankers” or the “Company”) (TSX: BNK, AIM: BNK) Albanian bank accounts, and protecting the Company against enforcement of the previously announced Albanian profit tax assessment. This stop order will remain in place until the Tribunal decides otherwise. Subsequent to receiving the ICC Tribunal ruling, Bankers will submit an application for a longer term injunction which will be heard by the ICC Tribunal in the coming weeks. Bankers will continue to operate as usual in Albania.

The ICC injunction supports the independent handling of the process in accordance with applicable international principles. The third-party international cost recovery audit process continues in accordance with the Terms of Reference signed September 25, 2015 with the Albanian National Agency for Natural Resources (AKBN) and the Ministry of Energy and Industry. Based on the strength of our eleven year relationship with the Albanian Government as the largest foreign direct investor and tax payer in Albania, we expect full cooperation in compliance with the ICC Tribunal ruling and the third-party international cost recovery audit process.

On November 19, 2015, Bankers received notification that the Albanian tax department suspended the use of the Company’s Albanian bank accounts in an attempt to collect an amount of $75 million, increased due to assessed interest and penalties from the previously announced $57 million tax assessment. Bankers does not hold a significant balance in its Albanian bank accounts, and this suspension is expected to be lifted immediately. Bankers will update the market regularly as the third-party international cost recovery audit and ICC Tribunal processes proceed.

source: investment.albaniaenergy.org

LATEST NEWS

• June 14, 2023 The Serbian Institute for Critical Materials launches a regional mining platform for knowledge exchange
• August 13, 2023 Environment South East Europe Watch temporarily suspends the activity
• August 9, 2023 Regional Coalition Aims to Protect Up to 400 Kilometres of Rivers Across Southeast Europe
• August 9, 2023 Meeting Serbia’s Energy Needs: A Smart Siting Map for Solar Power