Montenegro MP criticizes government fuel pricing policies

Boris Mugoša, a Member of Parliament for the European Alliance, has criticized the Montenegrin government for failing to fully implement legal mechanisms to lower fuel prices. Mugoša stated that if the government had applied a 50 percent reduction in excise duties on both gasoline and diesel, gasoline prices would be 30 cents lower and diesel prices 15 cents lower per liter.

Currently, the government has implemented a 20 percent reduction in diesel excise duties but has not applied any reduction to gasoline. Mugoša noted that diesel prices in Montenegro have risen by more than 45 percent, or 64 cents, compared to seven months ago, allowing the state to earn an additional 11 cents per liter through VAT.

The European Alliance has proposed three measures to further reduce fuel costs, though none have been accepted by the government. Mugoša warned that rising fuel costs continue to drive inflation, noting that Montenegro's annual inflation in September was higher than in 90 percent of Eurozone and EU countries.