These are the 40 richest Albanian women

They are silent, they work hard, they are not easily corrupted, and as a result, they stay away from traditional businesses with high profits associated with profit - related power, which makes them less satisfied.

Despite the difficulties of doing business in a market of high informality and competition, Albania does not lack women entrepreneurs who own VIP businesses and circulate millions.

Only, or with the help of spouses, have subjects of the processing industry, trade, construction, tourist agencies, oil, and so on.

“Monitor” has been processing for the third consecutive year data of the largest companies in Albania, according to the annual circulation, drafting the list of 40 largest females under the annual circulation. Businesses are included in the rankings, which have at least one female shareholder with a minimum 30% stake. For many of them, the low profile they have kept is noted. They're not known in public, it's hard to find pictures on the internet, but this has not prevented them from being successful in businesses they own.

Even this year, successful entrepreneurs have been on the list for years, such as Vilma Nushi, Donika Mici, Merita Sheqi, Eleni Santato, Donika Gega. There is no shortage of new women-led businesses, mostly in trade, at increased value and without impact on employment or paying taxes.

What stands out is the low profit rate of businesses owned by entrepreneurs, compared to male-run businesses, on average 2.3% of income is profits. (see subdivision: Why women earn less. The names are more attractive and correct with the state”, says Donika Mici, the largest entrepreneur in the country in terms of the number of employees. The female “has no priority in business”, she adds, as she claims that in today's world, women's societies are cleaner.
But what are the biggest entrepreneurs in the country, according to the annual circulation, and how much do businesses owned by them earn?

Assa Sqam

The country's largest entrepreneur, according to the annual circulation, is for the third consecutive year, Anisa Skadi. Info Telecom, where it has a 60% share, realised 12.5 billion dollars in revenue. The company is acting as a moderator in the telecommunications field. But in the telecommunications field, subject DigiCom (internet service, telephone, optic fiber, leased line, Voip), established in July 2014, has realised revenues of 171 million dollars.

The next Undertaking, where Mrs. It has 30% of shares, it is Professional Marketing Albania, established since 2011, with activity on a center call and an annual income of 1.2 billion dollars.
In both companies, the total tax profit was $345m (DigjiCom is still at a loss). Based on the stock quota, Mrs. That's what $184 million was, or about 1.3m euros. The profit rate ranges from 2.1% to Info Telecom to 6.6% Professional Marketing Service.

Nushi Vilma

Vilma Nushi is one of the first entrepreneurs of the post-90s, who has always kept a low profile in public. The Marketing & Distribution company (M&D), where it has a 100% stake, was established in 1997 and is one of the largest distributors in the country. Marketing & Distribution realised revenues of 10.4 billion dollars in 2016 and had 324 employees. The pre-tax profits were $38m, at a return rate of around 3%.

Its two companies -- M&D and 3P Life Logistic (achieving Conception for 40-65 and where M&D has 80% shares) -- declared profits before taxes of 389m dollars in 2016, or about 2.8m euros, making the female entrepreneur with the highest profits.

Hoxha family women

For years, women from the Hoxha family (Vjollca, Laurel, Sarah, Ledia) have been managing business on television, radio and coffee processing. DISTALB, the largest television platform, where they have about 41% of shares, is the family's largest business. At Top Channel, Valtelina and VGA (publishment and advertising), ownership is 100% family.

All of the group's businesses, totally, had an income of $7.9 billion in 2016 and a profit of $225 million, while the percentage of profits, according to the weight in the respective companies, is about $132m (less than $1m).

Merit Sheqi

Merita Sheqi has started business activity since 1999, along with her husband, and today she is an entrepreneur of the country's largest pharmaceuticals trading company, Reese Farma. The company realised $3.6 billion in 2016, with an increase of 14% compared to the same period a year ago. Persistence, personality, treatment, and work on giving the European standard company have always characterized Mrs. The Sheqi, making the undertaking she leads to stand out in the market.

In 2014, it created the R&S enterprise. FARMA, with activity “Trade and retail medicine, pharmaceutical and cosmetic articles”, which has increased rapidly, achieving revenues of $606 million in 2016. Both companies had profits of $1.2m ($1.2m) in 2016.

Donic Gega

Donic Gega owns 100% of GEGA CENTER GKG shares, the company which was established in 2006 and has “The retail trade in fuels and lubricants, its gas and transport point”. It has become the company's shareholder since early 2012.

In 2016 the company's income was $3.2 billion, while profits amounted to about $160m (approximately $1.2m).

Mrs. Gega is active in the Gega family business, while she is manager of Gega Oil and member of the “Genculus Council”, one of the largest oil trading enterprises in the country.

Donika Mici

Also named as the <x0... Queen of Shoes”, Donika Mici is the country's largest female employer, with about 1800 employed in Doniana, Doppil, Rosipex. Mrs. The mouse is one of the first who dared to close the cycle of shoemaking and today has come straight to world markets. The income of three companies was 2.9 billion dollars in 2016, with a 5% annual increase. The tax profits of the three companies were $85 million, while according to Mrs. Mitch, 30 million dollars.
In addition to shoes, Mrs. Mici has opened production activity through Dona Elegant in 2016.

New Logins

Ina Topalli Szyma„ska (Global Resource Trade); Alba Nicole (ALPI-COM HOLDING); Elida Flora (R.E.K-NB) is new inflows in ten larges according to the annual circulation, with revenues fluctuating between $3-3.8 billion, but more than real activity, they report high rides because of the commercial nature of activity.

Another entrance is Melika Leka, with the sausage processing company, EHW, which is ranked among the largest entrepreneurs this year as Luan Leka, in April 2016, has passed a 33% stake in his wife, according to statements at the National Business Centre.

EHW in 2016 has declared a consolidated balance, along with Dilo (water Shaft), and Conad Albany, which has caused the company to jump to about 5 billion dollars. The profits amounted to 302 million dollars.

Romina Star

Since 2013, Romina Star (Shemaj) has been on the list of the biggest entrepreneurs in the country to run with the majority of AFT fuel trading company, which owns 100% of the shares. In 2016, AFT's income amounted to $2.8 billion, while tax revenues amounted to about $31 million. Company is on track of “Shemaj sh.p.k.” in 1994, where the company had activity in the oil retail sector. With experience increased, the number of customers and demand, the AFT, with activity in the majority trade, which is already aimed at expanding in Macedonia, according to official data.

Mimoza Cobo

Established in 2005, the D E-N-A society is 100% owned by Mrs. Denise Coobo. The company, according to the QB extract, has activity in trade, import-export simultaneously and production: various industrial articles, food items, Chancellor and articles, confections and textiles, machinery and equipment.
In 2016 the subject's income was 2.4 billion dollars, and the tax profit amounted to $63.5 million.

Eleni Babametto

Teuta Durres, with activity in the field of import and export, packing, making flour and trading food items, has been run by the couple of husbands Eleni and Arben Babmetto for more than 20 years, with 50% of each share. “The venture today is much more organised, there are different departments, such as production, finance, distribution, transportation, public relations, personnel, where each acts independently, but and harmonised with each other, helping and not by preventing each other”, she says.
In 2016 the company's income was $22 billion, and the profits amounted to some 92 million dollars.

On TV

With spouses or just women who own the biggest television sets, there is no lack. Vjollca Hoxha and the children have already taken over the entire Top Channel television, the largest in the country in terms of income, while having a sovereign quota of 51% shares in the Digitalb pay platform (with 4 children).

Alba Ginaj owns a 40% share of TV Klan and 20% of ABC News. Women of the Dulac family have also had many owners on the television platform, Tring TV, but in December 2016, Holta Dupaku (which had 33% shares), Melina Dalaku 33%; Ridvana Dulacu 34% have sold 80% of the shares to Sotiraq Toshi and held the three 20% stake for $200m, according to statements at the National Business Centre.

The Passion of Tourism

ALBTOURS Entella Mehmeti”D” - VAS tour-operator; Eleonora Johnpalay of Globus Travel; Wojsawa White and Savatour White Life are on the list of the biggest female entrepreneurs, with a total of $1.9 billion, $1.8 billion, and $75m respectively.

Over the years, they have grown and added the range of services they offer to customers, which help them relax in every corner of the world.

The highest profits were Sava Tours, with $73 million in 2016.

Travel agencies, which have been on the country's list of largest mobile enterprises since 2015, also due to a change in the way travel agencies report, including the total value of ticket sales and similar services, unlike previous periods, where revenues represented commissions benefited from ticket sales and services.

Why Women Win So Little

The average pre-tax profit rate of larger companies, which have at least one female shareholder of 30% of shares, was 3.3% in 2016, with a slight decline last year when it resulted in nearly 3.7%. This is much lower than the profit rate for all goods and services in the market of about 9%, according to data reported in the structural survey of INSTAT companies.

Donika Mici says the main reason lies with the fact that these businesses have less informality. By working according to the rules, income - withholding opportunities are lower. Second, they, in the majority, are not strategic businesses on the road, hydropower, oil, gas and public work, which are enterprises with guaranteed profits and high returns rates. The big margin business is always in men's hands”, says Mrs. Mitch.

Businesses with higher profit rates

From women's-owned enterprises, which have higher returns rates (pre-tax/assuration) are ranked TV Klan (25%); ELBA. Elda Tomchin, at the rate of 18%, ABCONS of Art Gurabadh.
In 2015, the company with the highest profits among female entrepreneurs, but even among the highest in the country, was ABCONS, who works as a gas pipeline subsurgeon. TAP, with around 6m euros in profit and returns rate of 37%. In 2016 it fell to about 1.5m euros, remaining among the highest-profit companies.