Reports
FUEL PRICE GROWTH CAN’T BE STOPPED – IMPORTERS
Chisinau. The fuel prices will continue growing, and the "Importcompetrol" Union of Oil Product Importers rules out any possibility of a growth stoppage or a price fall till at least the year 2015, Union Chairman Valentin Bodisteanu stated at a news conference in Infotag today.
He said he had just come back from a forum of oil companies in Paris, where the perspectives of prices on energy resources were discussed.
“I have got an impression that Russia owns a water reservoir amidst a desert, and all the rest nations have only money. The point is, Russia controls a majority of hydrocarbons reserves in Europe. And recently Russia passed a law permitting to export maximum 30% of the oil production volume. This restriction is causing a crisis in Europe”, Bodisteanu said.
He believes that in such conditions, other countries have to look for alternative energy sources, and bio-fuel can become one. However, it has been established by now that the bio-fuel burning produces much carbon dioxide, and this may aggravate the greenhouse effect on the Earth, so the human race has to look for other solutions, too.
Importcompetrol presumes that prices on gasoline and diesel can be restrained, to a certain extent, if the Moldovan Government revises its oil price policy.
“The Government must suppress excises and taxes if it really wants us to lower fuel prices. For instance, the Law on the 2008 State Budget has established the tax on diesel at US$500/ton, while the fuel itself costs US$1,200. We understand that the State Budget thus receives more revenues, but in the current conditions we believe the State could temper its appetite and lower some taxes at least partially”, recons Bodisteanu.
In his words, this and some other proposals were submitted to the Government recently. However, “instead their considering and joint discussing, the Government once again requested oil importers to reduce the diesel price for the grain harvesting period”.
“Yes we will be retailing diesel for 14.1 lei a liter, though its import cost is 14.5 lei. Yes we will be selling diesel at a loss, but will compensate for the damage with gasoline, whose profitability is 10-15%. For a successful harvest campaign, Moldova will need 15-10 thousand tons of diesel”, said the Union chairman.
He dispelled the widespread argumentation that foodstuffs in Moldova are getting dearer due the fuel price growth: “Diesel price accounts for food product prices by maximum 5%”, Bodisteanu said.
