Although fuel marking is designed as a measure to improve excise tax collection and ensure fuel quality, there is disagreement between the Government of Montenegro and oil companies. While the Ministry of Mining, Oil and Gas sees the move as necessary to stabilize revenues, industry representatives warn of the possibility of additional burden on a sector already suffering from falling profits.
Zorana Sekulić, Acting General Director for Oil and Gas, said on TV Vijesti's Boje jutra that fuel marking is a means of regulating the tax environment.
"The fuel is marked with a small amount of marker, which does not affect performance or quality, but allows us to identify during control whether the fuel comes from illegal traffic."
The procedure includes regular checks at gas stations, in tanks and warehouses, and the law stipulates that the marker concentration must be above 95% for gasoline and diesel, and above 90% for liquefied petroleum gas. In case of deviations, companies will face sanctions, including a ban on fuel sales until the problem is corrected.
On the other hand, Draško Striković, Secretary General of the Association of Oil Companies of Montenegro, warns for Boje jutra TV Vijesti that the new measure could further burden the sector, which is already seeing a decline in profits.
"By introducing fuel marking, we would further burden profits, so some oil companies could operate below 1% of total revenue, which is unsustainable," Striković pointed out.
He also notes that while the goal is to combat illegal trade, there are currently no proven problems with illegal fuel traffic in Montenegro. They are particularly concerned about logistical challenges, especially for companies importing fuel by road, which could create new barriers to the market.
The fiscal strategy predicts that the new measure could bring in an additional 5 million euros per year in the initial phase, and up to 14 million when the system is fully established.
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