Romanian Transporters Blame Govt For Fuel Price Hike

Transporters ask authorities to refund commercial transport excises and call for transparency regarding gasoline and diesel oil prices.

"The Government is responsible for the high price of fuel. We can fill up in other countries to put pressure on the state," National Union of Romanian Transporters (UNTRR) vice-president Ion Lixandru told a news conference on Tuesday.

In Romania, the diesel oil base price is of EUR0.64 per liter, higher than in Austria (EUR0.585 per liter) and Germany (EUR0.458 per liter), according to UNTRR.

UNTRR president Constantin Isac said Romania has no clear price structure governed by transparency to correctly set the price of fuels. He highlighted that 40% of transport companies' budget is earmarked for fuels.

Romania's Competition Council on Tuesday said preliminary data in its investigation of oil companies did not reveal law breaches regarding the fuel price increases. In the first quarter, the Competition Council will complete an investigation on the fuel sale market, which was started back in 2005 and resumed in 2009, after the team in charge was changed.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said the government may introduce specific counter measures on the market, as special purpose taxes, against the producers who rapidly and unjustifiable increase the fuel price. The prime minister said he asked the Competition Council to verify if there is any monopoly on the local fuel market, and the fiscal authority ANAF to analyze the profit of the oil companies activating in Romania.

According to the local oil firms, the pump prices are influenced mainly by the evolution of the international crude oil prices and the leu/US dollar exchange rate.

The main oil companies activating on the local market are OMV Petrom (SNP.RO), Rompetrol, LukOil, MOL and OMV.

The Association for the Rights of Independent Taxi Drivers (ATDI) said in a press release Sunday Romanian independent taxi drivers will not buy fuels from gas stations on Thursday, in protest over the increase in fuel prices. ADTI threatened that, if the Government, the consumers protection authority and the Competition Council turn a blind eye to their demands, taxi drivers will cease activity countrywide starting March.

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