The fuel price increase ‘should be controlled’

The requests come after hauliers beginning was marked by complaints of the carriers, consumers and private sectors led to unprecedented protests stations.

Government representatives and they were made yesterday with a request that the tax agency or the competition council to make checks.

Carriers dissatisfaction stems from the fact that last year the price of fuel has increased by 30 percent and in 2011 also began with the calendar application to increase the fuel excise.

Carriers point out that in Romania, a country with natural resources and seaport, fuel-tax price is higher than in other European countries have neither the resources nor access their own shipping.

Therefore the composition of carriers require price transparency and point out that more than half the price of fuel is the duty and excise duty, and reach the money from the state budget collection are not in the quality of infrastructure, but are used in other purposes, as stated Vice President of National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania, Ion Lisandru.

‘Taxes and what amounts to the fuel price are two important components: VAT and excise. Where are they and how are they going? If we make a simple arithmetic to see that 65 percent, between 60 and 75 percent of pump price is taxes.

‘This means that the state budget to swell without doing anything, just to collect the 5-7 large manufacturers in Romania these charges,’ said Vice President of National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania, Ion Lisandru.

Carriers Union representatives count and organize protests, if the executive will not take concrete measures to limit the uncontrolled increase in prices of diesel and gasoline.

Moreover, and people protesting against these increases, the supply boycott gas stations paid only coins.

On the Internet, circulating a message that urges people on 17, 18 and 19 January will not enter the station and move by public transportation.

The Competition Council will check the situation

Boc, the Prime Minister said at public television on Monday that the government may introduce specific counter market economy, such as imposing taxes against producers that grow rapidly and unjustified fuel prices.

Emil Boc also said he has asked the Competition Council to ascertain whether there is a monopoly in this market, and the National Tax Administration Agency to analyze the profit of the industry.

Representatives of the Competition Council has shown that at least at this time there were indications in connection with any breach of competition laws on petrol price calculation.

‘The data we have now in 2010, at the beginning of 2011 does not give us indications of a violation of the law. That I have seen before people say it's clear, look, everyone has increased prices, or they have grown a little time. That behavior is not necessarily illegal.

‘Illegal is, as we say that the law was violated, we must be able to prove that somehow these people have understood, had an exchange of messages between them, had a meeting with them, ‘ said Board President competition, Bogdan Chiriţoiu.

He also said that people's purchasing power is not related to how the petrol price is calculated and the European trend is to have the same price in all Member States.

Translated by: Denisse-Meda Bucura.

MA Student, MTTLC, University of Bucharest