Skopje, 29 April 2026 (MIA) - We are currently not contemplating a lower VAT for diesel fuels and we are talking with the Okta oil refinery on extending their discount, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Wednesday.

PM Mickoski told reporters that the excise tax rates remain the same, adding that the Government will make decisions based on the average price of gasoline and diesel fuels in the second half of April.

Referring to fuel prices in the region and the fact that the "budget in Serbia is collapsing", the PM noted that the situation is not the same in the country.

"We will continue to implement stable policies and protection of the citizens' standard," said Mickoski and pointed to the table of the International Monetary fund (IMF) that shows the country as the third in Europe that has applied measures for the crisis management as percentage of the GDP.

He noted there is still pressure from citizens from neighboring countries in fuel procurement, which has increased by 30 percent, with kerosene supplies for regional airports also provided.

"We don't intend to stop or ban this, as some other countries have done. We have not intervened with the state reserves, we have been fighting to keep the standard over the past couple of months. Despite this, as I see it, the biggest energy crisis on record, we are still showing resilience and we will continue to fight," said Mickoski.

Photo: MIA