Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that the Government decided to reduce the excise tax by 30 bani for diesel fuel, the measure to be approved by the Government on Friday.
According to the prime minister, "both the citizens and the Government are losers in this crisis generated by the war in Iran and the increase in energy prices."
"Because it is true that we apparently collect more value-added tax, because diesel is no longer sold for 8 lei and is sold for 10 lei, for example. And, at least for diesel that is sold to individuals, at gas stations, who no longer enter the receipts into a VAT settlement circuit, it is indeed an additional collection. So far, we have extended support schemes with larger amounts, in which we pay a third of the excise tax for hauliers. Basically, our farmers are exempt from paying excise tax, which cumulatively means one billion lei, amounts that are taken from the state budget", the prime minister declared on Europa FM.
The decision to reduce the excise tax by 30 bani was made after consulting companies in the field.
Furthermore, he added, Romania produces its own fuels - some through Romanian refineries from imported crude oil or from Romanian crude oil.
"We have overtaxed what is produced from Romanian crude oil as profit, so that the money that is exceptionally earned from our country's resources returns to the citizens. We also directly import diesel from abroad, because over 75% of Romania's consumption is diesel, both because it has an important component in passenger transport, freight transport and everything that moves in general that supports the economy, but also due to the car fleet and barely over 20% represents petrol. So, we import diesel at market prices. (...) In order to have an effect on the Romanian market, both in terms of numbers, but also to support the economy, we decided that this reduction will apply in a first stage only to diesel and next week we should see another price reduction", the prime minister pointed out.
Asked if those who have petrol engines might feel discriminated against, the PM indicated that "it is possible that they feel this", adding that, "in real terms, the increase in petrol is much lower than that in diesel".
The head of the Government also explained how Romania could reach a fuel shortage.
"All countries in Europe and the world have been impacted by the blockade of crude oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Even if Romania does not obtain a large share of its supplies from this strait, the effects have been everywhere. The Romanian market will be competitive, that is, it buys at prices on international markets, we should not have a shortage. The moment you come up with certain limitations, which no longer allow companies to buy at the price on the global market and sell with a profit or not, with very large losses in the Romanian market, then the risk of shortage appears", Bolojan also stated.
The option to reduce excise duty and not resort to the voluntary reduction solution was taken because companies said "we have no space to do this, and if you do this, you are practically forcing us to stop importing and a shortage will appear on the market in a period of time".
"We do not need such a thing, there is no problem of a shortage at the moment, but it is important that through all the measures we take we keep prices as low as possible, as much as possible - I emphasize -, not as much as we would like, but at the same time not to have collateral effects that would mean major disruptions, that would create a supply deficit in gas stations in Romania", concluded the prime minister.
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