Government extends fuel subsidies for road transporters through August

A decree published Thursday renews the fuel-subsidy program for public road transporters of freight and passengers for the period June to August. The measure provides a basic monthly grant to all qualifying operators and a higher, conditional grant for firms whose pre-tax profit relative to turnover does not exceed one percent over the two most recent fiscal years, a stricter benchmark than the earlier three-percent limit.

Ambulance operators, currently negotiating with the health ministry, are excluded from the aid. The transport ministry is also working on revising the indexation mechanism that ties carrier tariffs to fuel prices, aiming to shift from criminal to monetary penalties for non-compliance. A consultation involving carriers, the business mediator and the competition authority is scheduled for early October.