The Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) and IMM Romania are calling for the urgent adoption of the legislative bill extending the cap on diesel profit margins, including for refineries and importers, following its withdrawal from the Chamber of Deputies' final vote.
"We do not understand why a bill that received favorable reports from parliamentary committees and aims to protect the entire economy is being withdrawn from the final vote. Every day without a real cap on diesel profit margins means additional costs for transporters, producers, distributors, and, ultimately, for every Romanian. Diesel is a direct or indirect component of the cost of almost all goods and services. Rising diesel prices fuel inflation and undermine the competitiveness of Romanian companies. FORT initiated and consistently supported this mechanism and called for the removal of exemptions for refineries and importers. Parliament now has the opportunity to rectify this legislative error. We call for the bill to be immediately placed back on the agenda and for the amendments to be adopted. The Romanian economy cannot afford further delays!" stated FORT President Beniamin Lucescu, as quoted in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.
For his part, IMM Romania President Florin Jianu highlighted the impact of diesel prices on economic costs.
"The price of diesel fuel is a significant factor in the cost structure of numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in Romania. The impact of rising prices extends beyond the transport sector, rippling through industry, agriculture, trade, and services, thereby affecting business competitiveness and the prices paid by consumers. In an economic climate marked by pressure on operating costs, the business community requires measures that are coherent, predictable, and consistently applied. We believe it is essential to swiftly conclude the parliamentary process regarding the capping of commercial markups across the entire supply chain, ensuring the measure can achieve its goal of curbing fuel price increases. Every day of delay in adopting effective solutions prolongs uncertainty for Romanian businesses and maintains cost pressures throughout the economy," stated Florin Jianu.
According to the press release, FORT had advocated from the outset for capping commercial markups on diesel across the entire economic chain, including at the refining and import stages. The federation considers the exclusion of these segments from the initial regulation to have been a major legislative error, which undermined the measure's effectiveness and allowed cost pressures on the final price of diesel to persist.
The organization maintains that the amendments receiving favorable reports from parliamentary committees rectify this situation and restore the principle of applying the cap across the entire economic chain. FORT reiterates that the mechanism for capping commercial markups on diesel fuel is an initiative of the Federation, promoted following requests made to the Government, which contributed to the adoption of the initial emergency ordinance limiting commercial markups in the fuel sector.
At the same time, the Federation calls upon the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies and the leaders of parliamentary groups to urgently place the bill back on the agenda and submit it to a final vote as soon as possible.
FORT emphasizes that capping commercial markups across the entire supply chain is not merely a measure intended for transport operators, but also a tool to curb cost pressures throughout the economy.
In this context, the organization calls for the adoption of the legislative bill, including the extension of measures related to the oil crisis situation until March 31, 2027.
FORT and IMM Romania announce that they will continue their institutional efforts to resolve this issue in the interest of transport operators, the business community, and the Romanian economy.
