The first day of the year brought a drop in prices by approximately 10 percent for gas and diesel fuel, up to RON 5/litre. This was due to the reduction of VAT from 20 percent to 19 percent, and especially to the elimination of the additional excise of 7 eurocents/litre of fuel. Also, the energy and ticket prices registered a drop on January 1.
However, for the next period, some increases in the price are possible due to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro and Romanian currency because of the international trading prices for one barrel of oil.
At several gas stations from Bucharest, a standard 95 litre of gas was sold at RON 4.85-4.86 or RON 4.94, depending on the company and location. However, at noon at least one of the gas stations showed the price of RON 5.36 for a litre of gas.
Also the diesel fuel became cheaper, so that a litre was worth RON 4.8 or 4.9.
The energy prices dropped by 1.9 percent for households, according to the computations of the National Authority Regulation in Energy (ANRE).
CFR Calatori announced that some train tickets will become cheaper as a result of the VAT reduction.
Georgiana Bendre