The Confederation of Entrepreneurs and Investors of Romania has called on the government to adopt urgent measures and open dialogue with social partners to ease pressure on the business environment, amid sharply rising fuel and gas prices linked to the conflict in Iran.
The organisation warned that some companies could resort to layoffs and price increases of up to 25%.
"With oil prices exceeding by more than 40% the levels recorded before the outbreak of the war, and forecasts of petrol prices surpassing 10 lei per litre at the pump becoming a certainty, the business environment is calling for government intervention to protect economic activity and employees. While countries such as Hungary and Croatia have reacted swiftly by capping fuel prices, and Austria has officially announced temporary tax cuts on petrol and diesel, along with limits on retailers' margins to stabilise prices, Romania cannot remain indifferent to the high price levels affecting multiple sectors sensitive to fuel price fluctuations," the press release said.
The organisation also highlighted the rise in natural gas prices.
"At present, the reference price has exceeded 67 euro/MWh, more than double the level recorded before the war. This sharp increase in fuel costs cannot be absorbed by the private sector. Depending on activity and product categories, price increases of 15-25% are estimated, according to several representatives of member companies. As European states take rapid measures to offset these increases and remain competitive, some Romanian companies may be forced to resort to layoffs, which would in turn increase the burden on the state budget and make it difficult to meet contractual commitments," the document added.
Consequently, CAIR President Cristian Erbasu called for the issue to be addressed urgently, in dialogue with business representatives, sectoral employers' organisations and confederations, in order to identify the most appropriate solutions tailored to each economic sector.
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