
Dozens of residents of villages in the Patos-Marinzë oil-bearing area protested this morning in front of the offices of the Bankers Petroleum company over the non-payment of land rent.
They claim indignantly that around 800 residents of the villages of Marinëz, Belinë, Sheqishte, Zharrëz, Kallm, Frashër, Kuman, since the beginning of 2026, have not been paid for the annual rent of the land, which is being used by the company for roads, parking lots, squares and oil wells, which have been used by the company since 2010.
Residents unanimously demand respect for the contract according to the law and oppose changing the contract from one year to two years and halving the rental price from 400 lek per square meter to 200.
The residents also claim that, if their demands are not taken into account, they will demand the return of the lands to their previous state and escalate the protest.
For residents of the oil-bearing area, annual land rent remains one of their main sources of income.