PARLIAMENT DECLINES PSRM INITIATIVE ON LOWERING DUES AND EXCISE TAXES ON FUEL

The parliamentary majority did not include the draft law on lowering the dues and excise taxes on fuel, proposed by the Party of Socialists' MPs, in the Thursday's sitting agenda.

PSRM deputy Vladimir Golovatiuc said that this year it is for the first time when the Government, in the face of Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, brought an action against the independent regulator - National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE).

"However, the court issued the decision not to suspend, but to cancel the ANRE decision. This is not bad, but two weeks ago we said that the problem is not just the price, but the regulated documents. Within two weeks a new decision will be taken on raising fuel prices, thus we have to do something", he said.

According to him, the Government demonstrated its inability and inefficiency, thus MPs should help him.

"The easiest way to solve the problem is excise taxes. In 2008-2009, the excise tax was 1.8 thousand lei per 1 ton of gasoline, now it tripled", the MP reminded.

Speaker of the Parliament Andrian Candu said that the Socialists' draft law was transmitted to the profile parliamentary standing committee just yesterday, thus the Government did not manage to discuss it.

"Given the fact that we are speaking about dues and excise taxes which directly influence the national budget, certain procedures should be observed for discussing this draft", the Speaker said.

Socialists proposed to hold a sitting of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance for considering the initiative and preparing the report for the first reading, but the parliamentary majority declined this idea.

As Infotag has already reported, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure expressed disagreement with the ANRE decision on raising maximal retail prices on gasoline and diesel by 0.23-0.34 lei. It addressed to the court, as it maintains that the decision was taken illegally without consultations with interested persons and with insufficient transparency. The court operatively decided to cancel the ANRE order.