IMM Romania and the Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) request the Parliament and the Government for immediate legislative intervention to eliminate the loopholes that allow the effect of the reduction in excise duty on diesel to be diminished or absorbed on the upstream links of the price formation chain.

According to a press release, for the period 16-31 August, the state reduced the excise duty on diesel by 20%, assuming a significant budgetary effort in order to reduce the costs borne by the economy, the business environment and end consumers.

Transporters believe that, in its current form, Law no. 162/2026 allows for an asymmetry in the mechanism for limiting the commercial mark-up. By art. 2 par. (11), refining activities and the first sale of products resulting from the processing of crude oil, as well as the import and first sale of imported petroleum products are exempted from the mechanism for limiting the commercial margin.

This exception creates a structural vulnerability of the capping mechanism: if certain links in the price formation chain remain outside the limitation mechanism, the commercial margin can be redistributed between the links, reducing the economic effect of the fiscal intervention.

“An excise duty reduction represents an effort assumed by the public budget with a precise economic objective: reducing the cost of fuel and, implicitly, reducing the pressure on companies and consumers. This objective cannot be considered achieved at the time of adoption of the fiscal measure, but only when its effect is effectively reflected in the final price”, declared Florin Jianu, president of IMM Romania, quoted by Agerpres.

FORT draws attention to the fact that transporters directly bear the consequences of this situation.

“The excise duty reduction must produce a measurable effect on the price of diesel. Transporters cannot benefit from a tax reduction only at a theoretical level. If the tax advantage is absorbed along the chain before the product reaches the final consumer, then the objective of state intervention is compromised,” said Beniamin Lucescu, President of FORT.

IMM Romania and FORT request Parliament to urgently amend art. 2 par. (11) of Law no. 162/2026, so that the mechanism for limiting the mark-up/trade margin can produce real effects on the entire relevant price formation chain, including in the area of ​​import, refining and first sale.

Transporters also consider it necessary to monitor the effect of the excise duty reduction on the final price, so that the difference between the tax advantage granted and the effective reduction in the price at the pump can be identified and evaluated.

“If the state gives up tax revenues to reduce the price of diesel, the benefit must reach those for whom the measure was adopted: the economy and the final consumer. A public intervention whose economic effect can be neutralized by redistributing commercial margins between links cannot be considered efficient. We call for legislative coherence, economic traceability and real efficiency of the measure adopted by the state,” the statement added.