Diesel Fuel Prices: Transparency and Justification Are Needed

The Government has announced that, for a period of 30 days, the price cap for diesel fuel will be calculated on the basis of CIF Med quotations instead of FOB Med quotations. At the same time, the Specific Commercial Margin has been increased by approximately USD 25 per tonne, which is equivalent to around MDL 0.37 per litre.

The issue is that CIF Med quotations already include transport and insurance costs, while these expenses are also reflected, at least partially, in the Specific Commercial Margin. In the absence of clear explanations, there is a risk that certain costs may be included twice in the calculation formula.

The Government also claims that the impact on consumers will be limited to approximately MDL 0.37 per litre. However, this estimate cannot be verified without the publication of the complete calculations and comparative simulations.

In this context, the “Construim Încredere” Civic Movement calls on the Government and the National Agency for Energy Regulation to publish both the previous and the new calculation formulas, the full structure of the Specific Commercial Margin, the separate impact of the transition from FOB to CIF, the increase in the margin and the postponement of the fee for establishing state reserves, as well as the economic justification for these changes.

The Movement also calls for the disclosure of the current situation regarding strategic petroleum product reserves, the consideration of alternative fiscal measures and the involvement of the Competition Council in assessing the functioning of the fuel market.

The full text of the statement is available below.