Basescu tax may be removed once a 20% increase in the tax for the Special Roads Fund is included in the fuel price, as Transports minister Traian Basescu plans to propose the Government. On Tuesday in Brasov Basescu said that he intended to ask the Government to increase the tax included in the fuel price and aimed at the Special Roads Fund from 25% to 45%, which could trigger an increase of gasoline and motor oil prices, Mediafax correspondent reports. "I am trying to pass through the Government an emergency ordinance which will remove two taxes and increase another one. I want to suggest the removal of the yearly tax for which people stand in line in front of CEC (Savings Bank) offices, as well as the removal of the 5% tax on the new cars value, and to keep only one, namely the tax on gasoline," Basescu explained. For the time being, the three taxes are the main sources of the Special Fund for Public Roads. The fuel prices dropped by 500 lei on average, because of the 20% cut down in excises. Sources within Petrom told Mediafax that the increase of the road tax, if included in the fuel price as suggested by Transports Ministry, could cause prices to go up by 500-600 lei per litre. The 25% tax included in the fuel price destined to the Special Roads Fund is applied to the price of one litre of gasoline or motor oil when leaving the refinery. The quoted sources state that the 25% tax stands for only 6-7% in the final retail price.
