ZAGREB, March 23 (Xinhua) - The Croatian government has decided to extend a fuel price cap for another two weeks amid rising prices linked to the situation in the Middle East, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday during a government session.
Under the new regulation, which takes effect on Tuesday, the price of regular petrol will increase to 1.62 euros (1.88 U.S. dollars) per liter, while regular diesel will rise to 1.73 euros (2 dollars) per liter. The price of blue diesel, used primarily in the agriculture and fishing sectors, will increase to 1.19 euros (1.38 dollars) per liter.
Without the government's measures, the prices of regular petrol, diesel and blue diesel would reach 1.71 euros (1.98 dollars), 1.86 euros (2.16 dollars) and 1.23 euros (1.43 dollars) per liter, respectively.
This marks the government's tenth package of measures since 2020 aimed at mitigating the impact of rising prices on households and businesses. Croatia's year-on-year inflation rate stood at 3.8 percent in February.
Plenkovic said the measures are intended to ease the impact of rising energy prices, which have increased in recent weeks due to tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in the global oil market.
The price cap will not apply to gas stations on highways, where prices will remain deregulated. The capped prices will remain in effect until April 6.
