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Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Finance is planning an increase of the fuel excise duties, but that this measure will only have an insignificant impact on pump prices. "I didn't see the draft ordinance but I am in the loop with this proposition to increase certain excise duties. The excise rates have been trimmed, the euro excise was scrapped. Unfortunately the expected reduction of the fuel consumer price, of the so called pump price, did not happen. I know the government held talks with the oil companies and the envisaged proposition - although there are several working variants - is to introduce a small excise increase that will practically have just an insignificant impact on the consumer price, so it won't be a burden for him," Tariceanu said at the end of the meeting of the Senate Standing Bureau.
According to Tariceanu, the Finance Ministry's discussion with the companies was that the rise "be practically absorbed in the price", given that the oil barrel and fuel prices are currently low. Asked if he considers that a 22 percent rise in the [excise duty] is insignificant, the Senate Chairman replied that the current prices will not go up by this percentage.
