Moldovan Parliament will consider abolishing the need for oil companies to keep a minimum stock of 1,000 tons of basic petroleum products.
This is one of the recommendations contained in the resolution approved by MPs following the hearing of the report of the Special Commission for the Review of the Efficient Application of Regulatory Norms in the Petroleum Products Sector. The document recommends the Parliament to consider the possibility of an independent external audit of the effectiveness of the Competition Council, to consider abolishing the need for business entities to keep a minimum stock of basic petroleum products in the amount of 1,000 tons. Also, the Parliament was instructed to ensure the transposition into the national law of the Council of Europe Directive of September 14, 2009, which imposes obligations on the EU countries to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil and/or petroleum products equivalent to two months of domestic consumption. At the same time, the government was instructed to consider within three months the possibility of reducing the price of travel tickets for district and inter-district transport services through taxation of the passenger transport sector, as well as explore the possibility of reducing the price of fuel for road transport operators (reduced VAT, excise tax refunds, partial compensation of costs). Also, the Cabinet of Ministers was recommended to propose to the Parliament measures to stimulate the acquisition and use by the population of electric cars, to propose to the Parliament amendments to normative acts in order to encourage the population to use regular transport services, to consider launching a support program for the renovation of the vehicle fleet in Moldova, giving priority to fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. Also, the Government was instructed to examine the possibility of exempting the motor transport operators from taxes on the import of vehicle units for regular transportation, to adopt normative acts as soon as possible in order to abolish the need to certify oil products imported from the European Union. At the same time, to facilitate the detection and prevention of the sale of low-quality petroleum products, it is proposed to organize as soon as possible the sampling of gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations and submit for the annual report containing the results of national monitoring of gasoline and diesel fuel quality. In the case of violations, to apply sanctions. At the same time, the Competition Council is instructed to announce by the end of July the results of investigations into possible cartel agreements in the oil market; within 30 days to submit legislative amendments to the Parliament to improve the institution's activity; to intensify interaction with the National Agency for Energy Regulation and to sign an institutional cooperation agreement to improve market monitoring capabilities and timely decision-making; to intensify interaction with the Information and Security Service. At the same time, the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) is recommended to send within a month to the Parliamentary Commission for Economy, Budget and Finances proposals on the creation of an organized market of standardized wholesale trade of basic oil products (commodity exchange); within 45 days, develop a mobile application ecarburanti.anre.md to facilitate access to the price list for those who mostly use cell phones; ensure the placement on the official ANRE website of average Platts quotes in percentage and value terms, as well as the placement of the price indexes on the market. The Parliament also recommended the municipalities to take necessary measures to make public transport more attractive in order to encourage people to use public transport instead of cars, and to inform about the measures taken. // 18.07.2022- InfoMarket
