Ministry keeps eye on rising gasoline prices
The Ministry of Regional Development is considering the imposition of a ceiling on fuel prices in cases where it deems they are unjustifiably high.
The average price of unleaded gasoline has soared to 1.72 euros per liter across Greece, and the government is thinking of containing the price rise, although sources close to Deputy Minister Dinos Rovlias said that so far there have been no data from the inspections that would justify imposing a ceiling.
There are more than 10 prefectures in Greece where unleaded gas has come close to an average of 1.80 euros/lt (Hania, Iraklio, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Evrytania, Arcadia, Chios, Samos, Corfu and Rethymno), while on Cephalonia it averages at 1.849 euros/lt and in Lasithi at 1.81 euros/lt.
Ministry monitoring teams suggest that the high prices are justified by the high rates for crude oil and the hefty taxation on fuel in Greece, but inspections will continue with measures taken where prices are deemed too high to be justified.
The last time the government resorted to capping fuel prices was last September, at a rate of 1.473 euros/lt in Athens and Thessaloniki. Prices have soared by over 15 percent since then.
