# Albanian Customs Fines Kuçova Base Contractor

Albanian Customs assessed construction company Salillari 468 million lek (approximately €5.15 million) after finding that about 1.3 million kg of diesel used for the NATO Air Base construction project in Kuçova lacked shipment-specific exemption documentation approved by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) at customs clearance. Salillari disputed the assessment, arguing the diesel was covered by Albania’s framework agreement with NATO, but customs rejected that argument. The case highlights the financial and schedule risks of relying on a general agreement without securing the specific approvals required for imported project materials.

- Contractors importing fuel or construction materials for NATO-related projects in Albania should verify that shipment-specific NSPA-approved exemption documentation is in place before customs clearance.
- Procurement teams and prime contractors should account for customs documentation and tax-exemption verification in supplier controls and import planning; the assessment shows that a framework agreement alone may not satisfy customs requirements.
- Companies supporting the Kuçova project should review the documentation basis for comparable shipments and coordinate exemption records across their customs brokers, suppliers, and project teams.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- Albanian Customs
- NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

### Vendors
- Salillari (Contractor for the NATO Air Base construction project)

### Sources
- [VAT and customs evasion costs "Salillari" dearly/ 5.1 million euro fine for NATO base materials in Kuçova - Aktualitet](https://sot.com.al/english/shmangia-e-tvsh-se-dhe-doganes-i-kushton-shtrenjte-salillarit-gjobe-5-1-milione-euro-per-materialet-e-bazes-se-nato-s-ne-kucove-i5192623) - Gazeta Sot