According to some analyses, the company could have increased this week the prices of motor oil and diesel fuels by 0.22 or 0.23 kuna. As it has not done so, it has actually cut prices by the said amount, the spokesman said.
He reiterated the government was monitoring the situation and for the time being there was no reason for it to react or reduce excise duties on motor oil and diesel fuels.
Last week, the government requested INA to respond to the price increase by reducing rebates. Macek said today that the Ivo Sanader cabinet would not give up on its request.
INA's managers decided at a meeting last Friday that the national oil company would help stabilise oil products' prices as much as it could. A statement released after the session said INA would follow demand on the domestic market and only moderately correct prices so as not to disturb their balance. The management discussed the current state of affairs and the possible consequences of the high increase in the prices of oil and oil products.
On Monday, the Croatian Independent Trade Unions' Federation (SSSH) issued a press release urging both the government and INA's management to curb the rise in prices.
The SSSH said it was following the communication between the government and the company, and added that it was all the same to citizens who would react to the price increase.
What is important is to curb the prices, the SSSH said, adding that countries in Croatia's neighbourhood had reduced excise duties and thus alleviated the consequences of the rise in oil prices.