The diesel fuel would cost MKD 11-11.5 more per liter, if the excise tax had not been reduced, Prime Macedonian Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Monday while responding to a question about the actual price of diesel had the Government not decided to lower the excise tax.
“Had this decision, and the previous decisions to reduce excise duties, not been made, the price of diesel fuel, for instance, would be approximately MKD 11 to MKD 11.5 per liter higher than it is today. In other words, considering the increased volume of sales at the country’s gas stations, particularly those in the northern, western, and southern regions, driven by the influx of people from Greece, Albania, and Serbia, we have reached a point where over 2 million liters of fuel are being dispensed at Macedonian gas stations.
Given that diesel accounts for roughly seventy percent of this, we are looking at a figure of around 1.4 to 1.5 million liters. This means that, based on diesel fuel alone, the daily savings for Macedonian citizens exceed €250,000. This is without even factoring in the two-week timeframe or the already reduced customs duties and excise taxes on unleaded 95 and 98-octane fuel, octane fuel, we arrive at a figure between EUR 4.2 million and EUR 4.5 million; that represents a direct saving for Macedonian citizens. Indirect savings are reflected in the low inflation rate.
For two months now, July and August, at the peak of the greatest global energy crisis in living memory, we have maintained what I would call one of the lowest inflation rates, well below that of the European Union. We are among the lowest in the region; only our northern neighbor, Serbia, has an inflation rate that is about 0.2 to 0.3 percent lower.
I also want to point out that we currently have the lowest prices for diesel fuel and for 95- and 98-octane unleaded gasoline; when compared to prices in neighboring countries, and indeed across Europe, the difference ranges from 20% to 50%. This demonstrates that this Government is mindful of its capabilities and is doing even more than might be expected to protect the citizens’ standard of living,” said the Macedonian PM.
