Several big petrol stations around Hungary, including the capital of Budapest, are experiencing fuel shortages as a price cap on fuel for private consumption shows signs of affecting supply.
The stock ran out two days ago, and sellers could not say when another delivery of 95-octane petrol, available at €1.17 (HUF 480) a litre, would arrive at the MOL station on Budapest’s central Mészáros Street, Telex reported on Sunday. Only Evo 100 premium petrol at €1.71 (HUF 699) per litre was available in the morning, but that too ran by around 4 pm.
Telex readers and staff also experienced stock shortages in several counties over the weekend.
Similar reports have emerged across the country, with broadcaster RTL reporting on Friday that it was impossible to fill up with officially priced fuel at several major petrol stations, and Mol will not be supplying fuel at all to hundreds of independent stations over the next week.
The supply shortages situation worsened recently after MOL announced on 17 November that it would stop supplying fuel to small, independent stations from last week, citing shortages due to increased demand and saying the company’s goal is to ensure the security of supply.
In July, Hungary narrowed eligibility for price-capped petrol and diesel since last fall to privately-owned vehicles, farm vehicles and taxis and excluded company-owned cars.
The government also increased the windfall tax on the country’s leading fossil fuel producer, MOL’s profits, to 40% from 25% over the summer.
The government has previously announced that there are still no plans to abolish the price limit on fuel for private cars.
(Vlad Makszimov | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
