Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev guaranteed to agricultural producers non-increasing of diesel oil price

The prime minister of Moldova, Vasile Tarlev, announced on Tuesday, 14 March, during the general meeting of the Republican Union of Associations of Agricultural Producers Uniagroprotect, that the government would offer guarantees to agricultural producers that till July 2006 of non-increasing of the price to diesel oil, as engross, as well retailed. According to him, last week, during a meeting, the greatest importers of petroleum goods of the market promised „in written form” not to increase the price to diesel oil. In Tarlev’s opinion, the practice of last years shows that, near spring works, the importers motivated the increase of the prices to petroleum goods by international seasonal increasing, but later forgot to cheapen them. According to preliminary data, for spring works, the agricultural producers need about 35,000 tones of diesel oil, but at prime minister’s request, local public authorities shall present till the end of this week, the real necessary volume. Depending of these figures, the head of the executive said, the importers would be required to deliver the diesel oil en gross to agricultural producers. In the same time, Tarlev hopes that importers could allow even the decrease of the price to diesel oil, as within the mentioned meeting they promised trying to identify such possibilities. The prime minister considers as well that once starting the project of the Terminalof Giurgiulesti, in May 2006, it will be possible to import the first 1 million tones of petroleum goods, allowing the significant decrease of the price to petroleum goods, of the direct purchase from the producers and their transporting on the sea. In this context, Tarlev underlined that it would be set a tough competition of petroleum goods on the market and Moldova would not be so sensitive to fluctuations of the international petroleum market. Tarlev informed as well the agricultural producers that till the end of May, the first anti-hail rockets would be produced in Moldova. According to preliminary data, the cost of an anti-hail rocket will cost 200 dollars, compared to import price 400 dollars. this fact will lead to improvement of the situation in the agricultural branch, as it is exposed more to risks related to weather changes. On the other hand, the prime minister mentioned that even he is for development of the modern bank system, the latter one is based now more on development of inter-bank sector, and credits are provided with a big interest rate. That’s why, the government “opened the door” to foreign banks, 3 banks being already registered in Moldova, which would implement for real sector of a long-term credit system, with a reduced interest rate, and their accreditation in 2006 “will make a revolution in the bank system”, Vasile Tarlev noted.