NAER changed the Methodology for calculating and applying prices for petroleum products and increased the margin for the wholesale trade of basic petroleum products and liquefied gas for the second half of 2021.
The National Agency for Energy Regulation made the corresponding decision at a meeting on Friday, after conducting online consultations on the amendments developed with representatives of companies operating in the oil products market. In particular, the NAER Administrative Council made changes to the previously adopted Methodology for calculating and applying prices for petroleum products. The amendments provide for the approval of new margin values for the sale of the main types of oil products and liquefied gas for the second half of 2021: gasoline and diesel fuel - 1522.91 lei / ton instead of the current 1142.18 lei / ton (+ 33.3%); liquefied gas - 602.11 lei / ton instead of 451.58 lei / ton (+ 33.3%). Thus, for a ton of imported gasoline or diesel fuel, the margin will be 380 lei more than before, and of liquefied gas - by 150 lei. The NAER decision comes into force from the date of its adoption. As the NAER emphasizes, at the same time, the decision made today will not affect the growth of retail prices for petroleum products, fuel prices at filling stations will be calculated based on previously established parameters. The energy regulator emphasizes that the NAER intervention was a reaction to the regional crisis in the oil product market and was caused by the need to provide sufficient fuel for the agricultural sector, transport companies and retail market participants who do not have licenses to import these products. As noted, recently, due to a number of factors, problems have arisen with the wholesale of fuel to farmers, transport workers, retailers of petroleum products, which was caused, among other things, by the suspension of several refineries in Romania and Greece due to accidents, changes in the rules for trading in petroleum products in Belarus, further growth in prices for oil products on international exchanges. In this regard, hysteria arose on the market of oil products in Moldova, panic was created, and it was necessary to relieve pressure on wholesale supplies so that all those in need could buy fuel in sufficient volumes. An amendment to increase the margin for wholesale trade in basic petroleum products and liquefied gas for the second half of 2021 was approved after a round of public consultations with the participation of stakeholders and was initiated to avoid destabilization in the oil products market in Moldova. As the NAER emphasizes, the decision was made urgently, it is of a short-term nature, and subsequently it is necessary to amend the Law on the Oil Products Market, which was recently amended by amendments. It is expected that new amendments to the law could be passed in August. In the meantime, NAER, taking into account the current legislation, cannot establish a higher level of margin without having the appropriate instruments. In addition, NAER drew attention to the behavior of some participants in the oil market in recent weeks, noting that they had biased messages, and there are reasonable suspicions about their involvement in an organized boycott aimed at destabilizing the economic situation in the country. As representatives of the energy regulator noted, moreover, spreading distorted information in the media and making a request yesterday to the Prosecutor General's Office and other state bodies, one of the retail market participants tried to block today's NAER meeting. It is emphasized that such actions, which partially coincide with the actions of the above-mentioned oil companies, can also be seen in the so-called experts who publish messages containing false information or analyzes that seem to be ordered. The agency recalled that the Criminal Code of Moldova contains sanctions for false reports or false complaints filed with the aim of accusing someone of committing a crime. NAER stated that it will continue to monitor the development of the process of supplying Moldova with oil products and will respond promptly if necessary. // 16.07.2021 — InfoMarket
