It will be forbidden to sell fuel at the government-imposed price of Ft 480 per litre to trucks larger than 7.5 tons and to foreign vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tons.

In addition, the excise tax on fuel will be reduced by Ft 20 per litre, trucks will be banned from Hungarian roads over the upcoming four-day weekend, and anyone spreading rumours of a fuel shortage will be prosecuted.

The measures are effective immediately, as the related government decree was published soon after the press conference ended.

Several, mainly smaller, gas stations were forced to close on Tuesday and Wednesday or significantly reduce the amount of fuel dispensed due to supply problems.

In some places, long lines developed due to fears of a supply shortage.

In the western and northern parts of the country, Austrian and Slovak “fuel tourists” are also exacerbating the situation, filling up on the much cheaper Hungarian petrol, which costs Ft 100-150 less per litre than in their own countries.

Global fuel prices have risen considerably since the government fixed the retail price at Ft 480 per litre on November 15. The present market rates would be near Ft 640 for petrol and Ft 717 for diesel, Telex writes.


MTI Photo: János Marjai