Price of gasoline about 19% up, of diesel fuel 21% up on last year

The average selling prices of gasoline and diesel fuel in the first quarter of this year increased by 18.8% and 21.5% respectively compared with January-March last year, to 14.82 lei/liter (TVA included) and 13.54 lei/liter. The price of liquefied petroleum gas rose by 17.3% to 7.58 lei/liter, shows a report by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the ANRE, the average price of a barrel of oil on the world markets in January – March 2011 grew by 36.3% to 105.1 USD, compared with the corresponding period last year. As a result, the average import prices of gasoline and diesel fuel rose to 933.8 USD/tonne and, respectively, 932.2 USD/tonne. The average import price of the liquefied petroleum gas increased to 796.6 USD/tonne. The imports of gasoline and diesel fuel grew by 39.5% and 59.5% to 42,600 tonnes and 71,000 tonnes respectively, while of liquefied petroleum gas – by 30.5% to 16,400 tonnes. 54.9% of the gasoline and 52.3% of the diesel fuel were imported from Romania. The sales of diesel fuel and liquefied petroleum gas rose by 15.3% and 23.4% to over 45,600 and, respectively, 11,400 tonnes, while the sales of gasoline decreased by 4.9% to about 36,200 tonnes. The ANRE says the import price of fuels is the main factor determining their selling prices, which on the home market are comparable to those in the EU.