Šušnjar: Fuel supply is regular and stable

Diesel from mandatory reserves is going to the market and this is a regular procedure, stated Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar, after today’s government session, and once again emphasized that the fuel supply in Croatia is regular and stable.

He explained that strategic stocks of petroleum products are replenished every six months and that today's government decision to release 35 thousand tons of diesel from commodity stocks was made as part of broader European efforts to stabilize the market, according to the decision of the International Energy Agency.

“Croatia is not a member of the agency and does not have to implement its decisions, but it does so as a statement of solidarity,” said Minister Ante Šušnjar.

He reminded once again that Croatia made a similar decision in 2022 at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when the stability of European supply was threatened, and now, as a sign of solidarity, it has released four percent of commodity stocks, which would have been replenished anyway.

He stressed that there are no extraordinary circumstances on the Croatian market and that the supply is secure.

The government today made a decision to release 35 thousand tons of diesel from mandatory stocks of oil and oil derivatives, the purpose of which is to participate in European efforts to stabilize the market.

The quantity released from stocks for Croatia represents 4.39 days of average daily net imports, 4.1 days of average daily consumption, or about 4.7 percent of mandatory stocks. These quantities will be replenished.

The Hydrocarbon Agency will release mandatory stocks to the market, at market prices.

When asked whether the government would react to food prices, given the strengthening of inflation, Šušnjar replied that price limits are in force for one hundred products that are most present in the everyday lives of citizens and that the government will monitor the situation with the price of energy products.

When asked whether he would talk to traders about prices, he replied that he talks to everyone continuously, but that the Croatian market is an economy and called on traders not to test the strength of consumers.

“The government has adopted measures for electricity, gas and oil derivatives, and I call for rationality when making any decisions on price increases, because this has no basis in the real world at the moment,” said Šušnjar.

Source: HRT