Yesterday OMV Petrom hiked gasoline and diesel oil prices by RON 0.09 per liter, the most expensive fuel type reaching a price of RON 5.96 per liter according to company data.

The four types of gasoline that OMV Petrom sells have prices ranging from RON 5.16 to 5.96 per liter. Diesel oil prices range from RON 5.15 to 5.63 per liter.

In 2010 the company hiked the price of diesel oil by an average of 24 per cent and the price of gasoline by 20 per cent.

The company put the blame on international oil price hikes. Asked to comment on the fact that Petrom has hiked its fuel prices, the Head of Government answered:

“It’s bad because this is what it means not to control the country’s oil reserves and to close a contract like the Petrom contract someone else closed in 2004, but I don’t want to launch political attacks. This is what it means to give up the country’s oil reserves, this is what it means to sign contracts at the expense of the state, to now use only collateral means of leverage, through the National Fiscal Administration Agency (ANAF) or the Competition Council, in order to check whether these things are rooted in reality or not. Obviously I will continue my analyses alongside the Competition Council and ANAF,” Boc stated.

The types of fuel that Lukoil sells have prices ranging from RON 5.22 to 5.70 per liter, while Rompetrol’s prices range from RON 5.21 to 5.88 per liter.

Since the start of this year oil companies have resorted to six price hikes, fuel prices growing by an average of 3.5 per cent.

The fuel distribution market in Romania is under the Competition Council’s scrutiny since 2005 but for the time being the authority did not present the conclusions of its investigation.

Economic analysts consider that the rapid growth in fuel prices could lead Romania back into recession; according to them the national advantage of having oil reserves is almost inexistent, realitatea.net writes.