According to a draft decree amending the Tax Code, the government plans to raise excise duties on diesel fuel by 24.9% and on unleaded gasoline by 22.8% as of September 1. Transporters say the increase will automatically reflect in pump prices.
“More expensive fuel will trigger more expensive tickets for transport passengers, higher tariffs for cargo transport and that will, in turn, lead to higher prices for products transported,” said Vasile Stefanescu, head of local transport association COTAR.
He said the measure is “a bad joke” but transporters will join forces and will protest if it is put into practice. He reminded many transporters refused to fill their tanks in Romania when the government introduced an extra excise duty on fuel.
“This sudden a change in taxation shows defiance towards the business environment, it messes up budgets and business plans of companies, as well as personal and family budgets,” said Dragos Anastasiu, head of the Romania-Germany Chamber of Commerce and owner of passenger transport company Eurolines.
Atanasiu said his company’s vehicles will no longer fuel in Romania if the measure is adopted and the company might raise ticket prices.
Augustin Hagiu, head of the FORT transport operators’ association said the state still owes transporters their money back for extra excise duties paid in previous years and warned transporters would resort to street protests.
“It’s obvious higher excises will reflect in transport tariffs because fuel represents 50% of operating costs in this business,” he added.