This was stated by Ion Chicu, a former prime minister and now a member of the Moldovan parliament, on the air of a Moldovan TV channel.
“I want our citizens to know that almost 50% of every liter of gasoline is taxed. If we are talking about a gas station price of 22-23 lei, the excise tax per liter is about 7.10 lei. Then VAT is added on top, which makes up about 8.50 lei, and, accordingly, VAT is then applied to the resulting price of gasoline,” Chicu explained.
The deputy said that after summing up all the taxes included in the final price, the state budget receives about 11 lei from each liter of gasoline, depending on the invoice value of fuel imported.
In his opinion, the government has the opportunity to intervene to mitigate the consequences of the price increase, especially in the case of diesel fuel used in agriculture.
“Does government have the opportunity to intervene or not? I think there is. But now we are talking mainly about diesel fuel because we are on the threshold of spring agricultural works,” the MP said.
Chicu emphasized that farmers are already facing difficulties and many of them have not yet finished harvesting last year’s crops, including maize, due to weather conditions.
In this context, he believes that farmers urgently need clarity on the cost of diesel for the spring campaign.
As a solution, the deputy proposed a clear mechanism for reimbursement of excise tax on diesel fuel used in agriculture, so that farmers could partially offset the costs.
“If you bought 10 tons of diesel fuel, know that the excise tax is reimbursable. A law needs to be passed as soon as possible so that farmers know they can count on this money,” Chicu said.
He said such a mechanism would provide predictability in the agricultural sector and make it easier for farmers to get financing from banks or other lenders.
The MP also mentioned that a number of European countries already apply various measures to support the agricultural sector, including limiting fuel prices or subsidizing them.
