Petrol prices rise in Moldova

Chisinau, 14 July /MOLDPRES/ - Five of the biggest oil companies in increased petrol prices in the last two days by over 0.65 lei per litre, just three weeks after they increased the price by 0.50 lei per litre. The pump price of A95 premium petrol, in highest demand, reached 18.3 lei per litre.

This is the third considerable increase this year, after oil companies raised petrol prices by 0.50 lei in February. Oil companies invoked the increased PLATT'S quotations on oil products, import prices and excise taxes on these products as well as the depreciation of the official and commercial currency against the dollar as causes for increasing prices of petrol.

According to statistics, the Platts average quotation on petrol increased by 48.1 per cent in January-June 2015, and compared to February, when the penultimate price changes of the current year took place, the quotations increased by 21 per cent. Thus, import prices on petroleum products increased, namely by 38.2 per cent in dollars and 52.4 per cent in Moldovan lei.

The purchase price of petrol increased on 1-12 July against the average in June, by 488 lei per tonne. At the same time, in early July the Moldovan leu depreciated against the dollar, compared to June, by 3.04 per cent and 14.3 per cent compared to January.

According to amendments made to the fiscal policy, excise duties on petroleum products increased by 6.1 per cent starting 1 May against 2014. Thus, the share of excise tax on petrol increased by 214 lei per tonne and reached a price of 3,714 lei per tonne.

This is the sixth change in retail prices of petroleum products in 2015. Throughout January, petrol prices decreased compared to the previous month, three times in a row, on average by 5.2 per cent overall. In February, gasoline prices were changed twice, the first time they were increased compared to January, by 4.6 per cent on average, the second time decreased by 1.1 per cent on average. The petrol prices remained unchanged until the second decade of June, when petrol prices went up on average by 2.9 per cent and came to cost 17.8 lei per litre.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor M. Jantovan)