AGREEMENT BETWEEN INA AND PRIVATE PETROL STATIONS IN PREPARATION

ZAGREB, Oct 3 (Hina) - Croatia's state oil company INA and the association of private petrol stations have agreed to prepare an agreement as soon as this week which would regulate commercial relations between the two sides, that is, the amount of fuel INA would deliver to members of the association until the end of this year. A final solution to the relations would be defined after the adoption of a new law or regulation on the market formation of oil product prices, INA said in a statement Tuesday. INA and the association held a meeting Monday and issued a harmonised statement Tuesday. The talks is another in a line of business meetings on resolving business relations between the two sides. Owners of private petrol stations in Croatia rallied last month after INA's management unilaterally decided to abrogate rebate on derivatives for all private dealers in oil and oil products. Talks with Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic ended the protest after he pledged he would see to it that the formula for determining oil prices also include a trade margin for the selling price of oil products from private petrol stations. On July 7 INA cancelled quantity rebate of 10-15 lipa per litre for owners of private petrol stations. Private petrol stations have been incurring losses for some time due to this decision. There are more than 200 private petrol stations in Croatia, with more than 4,000 employees. (hina) lml