Finance Ministry: Diesel Price for Foreign Drivers Raised to €2.012 per Litre

Bratislava, 26 March (TASR) - The special price of diesel that applies to foreign drivers will be increased to €2.012 per litre as of midnight on Friday (27 March), according to a decree published by the Finance Ministry on Thursday. Since Monday (23 March), the special price for foreigners has stood at €1.826 per litre. "The new special diesel price applies exclusively to vehicles registered outside Slovak territory. It's been set based on the average diesel prices in the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria. Data on prices for each country are published by the European Commission (EC) every Thursday, and the calculation of the special price is based on these statistical data alone," explained the Finance Ministry. The ministry pointed out that the price of diesel in Slovakia for domestic drivers is, according to EU data, the fourth-lowest in the whole European Union (EU), averaging €1.573 per litre. The ministry also drew attention to the rapid increase in fuel prices in other EU countries. For example, in a week the price of diesel has risen by 19 cents per litre in the Czech Republic and by 21 cents in Poland. As a result, both the Czech Republic and Poland are near the €2 threshold, while in Austria the price has climbed to €2.109 per litre. "Slovakia has so far resisted significant pressure on price increases, mainly thanks to government measures," stated the Finance Ministry, adding that the government is responding to the current situation and protecting the domestic fuel market through price regulation. The ministry noted that there is no special price for foreign drivers when it comes to so-called premium diesel. The prices of such fuels are determined by petrol stations according to their usual pricing policies. ko/df