If the price of oil on the international market does not decrease during the next few weeks, the price of gasoline will be raised again, by at least 0.50 lei a liter, economist of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” Veaceslav Ioniță posted on Facebook, answering why gasoline grows more expensive, IPN reports.

According to the expert, particular costs of fuel sellers increased and they will try to introduce these all in the price of gasoline. The price of oil on the international market last December and this month rose by over 6% on last November, which is by about 0.4 lei a liter.

Veaceslav Ioniță also said that the excise duties on gasoline are higher as of January 1 and another 0.34 lei a liter is thus added. “The exchange rate saves us a little. Owing to the appreciation of the leu against the dollar, we save 0.12 lei/liter. So, if the leu hadn’t appreciated, the Brent price of oil would have increased by 0.52 lei/liter, not 0.40 lei/liter,” he stated.

The economist noted the fuel sellers only started to import oil at higher prices and haven’t yet included all the costs into the excise duties on gasoline.

A number of filling stations posted higher fuel prices. The prices of gasoline and diesel fuel rose by 0.7 lei on average, while the liquefied petroleum gas is now by 1.2 lei more expensive.