The Independent Gas Stations Association (FBSZ) warned of possibly motor fuel supply disruptions in a statement sent to Hungarian state news wire MTI on Monday.
FBSZ said maintaining the operation of the filling stations had become untenable due to the special taxes and supply difficulties.
Under an agreement reached by the Energy Ministry (EM), the National Economy Ministry (NGM) and the association in the week before the elections, independent refueling stations were to maintain their loss-making operation arising from the “unlawful measures” at least until April 12, the day of the election, and the NGM was to provide compensation to reduce their losses according to the method and amount applied during the 2022 price cap, FBSZ told MTI.
However, then outgoing government has not kept its side of the agreement so far, as a result of which the operation of gas stations is causing serious losses, which is compounded by the extremely high special tax imposed on the motor fuel sector, FBSZ said.
FBSZ asked the outgoing government to keep its promise and resolve this issue, while asking the new government to listen to their arguments and suggestions, and “let us build a fair, functioning and sustainable system together.”
The government has capped prices of gasoline and diesel at HUF 595 and HUF 615/litre, respectively, to mitigate the impact on markets of the conflict in the Middle East and the shutdown of the Druzhba pipeline through which Hungary gets its Russian crude.
