* The government should raise the excises to match the European level, according to Cristian Pârvan
The hike in the price of fuel which happened last week, just five weeks after the price increases of January, will affect our wallets, just like the other price hikes of utilities.
Transporters, businesspeople, food producers, even the private gas station owners told us that they have been affected by the gas and Diesel oil price hikes which were announced a few days ago. They said that the narrow profit margins, which are already shrinking, do not allow them to bear the price increases, meaning that they would have to raise the prices of their products and services.
The increase in the price of fuel will lead to an increase in inflation, Cristian Pârvan, secretary general of the Association of Romanian Businesspeople (AOAR), told us. "It is obvious that the increase in the price of gas and Diesel oil, as well as that of utilities, where there is a monopoly and where people have no control, will lead to a hike of inflation. Producers can't afford these hikes, considering that they have profit margins of 3-4%".
In the opinion of Cristian Pârvan, the producers in the industry have two options: raising prices or going bankrupt.
He said that "profits obtained from price increases resulting from the exploitation of monopolistic positions should be taxed". Another solution would be for the government to set up two more chains of gas stations: "With fuel prices rising as they do, the government should raise the excises to match the highest level which they are at in Europe".
* Ion Tache: "We feel the customers' pain"
Private gas station owners are also complaining about the periodic fuel price hikes.
"Please do not mistake us for the big companies. We are in the buyers' shoes. We buying oil products and we resell them. W
