The highest prices for retailing the main oil products are set by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) based on the method log for calculating and applying oil products, says a bill to amend the law on the oil products market that was given a first reading by Parliament, IPN reports.
According to the bill author Vladimir Bolea, the bill keeps the main concept of the oil prices formation policy by capping, but only as regards the retailing of oil products. The highest selling price will be set for the main products of standard type (COR 95 gasoline and diesel oil) and will be calculated and published daily on the website of NAER. As a result, the wholesale market of oil products and selling prices of liquefied petroleum gas and all the other types of fuels, except for the basic ones, will become free.
The retailing of other types of main oil products besides those for which the highest selling prices are set will be allowed on condition that the filling station also sells the standard products. To ease the process of obtaining a license, the mandatory storage capacity for an importer is decreased from 5,000 m3 to 1,000 m3. Also, the necessity of having a quota of at least 8 million lei own capital is eliminated as this minimum quota prevents the appearance of more business entities on the market, according to the bill authors.
NAER can adjust the commercial margin if factors that could not be envisioned when the previous decision was adopted appear, but within 10% of the average that is effectively registered by operators.
NAER director Eugen Carpov said the Agency fully supports the urgent amendment of Law No. 461, given that the law in the current form has shortcomings. The bill reflects the cumulated view of the Agency and of the participants in the oil products market.
The bill was given a first reading in the absence of the Government’s appraisal. The authors said the appraisal will be provided before the bill is given a second reading.
