The Government has cut fuel taxes during an emergency session Sunday to protect consumers against rising global energy prices sparked by the Middle East conflict.
Macedonian Prime Minister HristijanMickoski announced that the excise tax on diesel will drop by 4 denars per liter and taxes on 95- and 98-octane gas will decrease by 2 denars per liter.
The Government has also extended the reduced VAT rate, keeping it at 10% instead of the standard 18% until the current state of crisis expires on April 20.
The Government’s intervention aims to prevent fuel prices from skyrocketing. According to PM Mickoski, without these measures, the price of diesel would have climbed to 102 denars per liter or higher. Gas prices would have seen a rise up to 2 denars per liter.
The Government also reached an agreement with the fuel supplier OKTA to extend its discounts through the end of April. OKTA is providing discounts of 3 denars per liter for diesel and 2 denars per liter for gas.
“When you factor in the 4-denar excise duty cut and the OKTA 3-denar discount, we are counteracting a potential 7-denar rise in diesel prices,”PM Mickoski told reporters, adding that gas prices would actually be 2 denarslower than they were last week.
