Moldovan agricultural producers are maintaining that prices on oil products in Moldova have been substantially overrated, so the Government must interfere into this abnormal situation and correct things in so essential a sphere.

 

Alexandru Slusari, Chairman of the all-republican UniAgroProtect Association of Agricultural Producers, told a news conference at Infotag on Friday that Moldovan oil product importers must temper their appetite because “with same world prices for everybody around, Moldova strangely appears to have the highest retail prices in region”.

 

“Lately, with everybody’s attention pivoted to the Russian embargo on Moldovan fruit and vegetables, many people have forgotten about the oil market, where importers do not observe even their own decisions, constantly referring only to the Moldovan leu depreciation against the dollar and to the international oil prices. Since March 9, when prices on gasoline and diesel went up last, the Moldovan leu currency has appreciated against the euro by 0.45 lei and the international oil price dropped by US$4.5 per a barrel, so there are no reasons to maintain gasoline and diesel retail prices at the previous high level”, said Alexandru Slusari.

 

“We demand from the National Energy Regulatory Agency, Competition Council and the Government to interfere into the situation. Today, the farm sector works in the conditions of a crisis, but oil importers don’t care”, said Slusari.

 

Vasile Mirzenco of the National Farmers’ Federation is convinced that Moldovan governmental officials have been under the influence of major oil importers, and this is primarily why they ignore the farm producers’ needs and concerns.