"The Government will address the challenge stemming from the latest oil price hike on the world market and take measures to protect the living standards of Croatian citizens," Sanader said in Warsaw at the end of his one-day visit to Poland.
He reiterated that he would tomorrow ask the management of the national oil company INA to explain the grounds for the introduction of the latest price list.
Sanader added that he had instructed competent ministers to prepare a draft for the reduction of excise duties from Eurosuper and Euro-diesel fuel.
In addition to the price rise resulting from the latest trends on the world market, the situation in Croatia grew more complicated when INA gave up on its profit margin from the price of Super 95 gasoline instead of the best selling Eurosuper 95.
According to the latest figures presented by INA managers at a news conference in Zagreb today, the sale of Eurosuper 95 made up 64 percent of all INA gas sales in the first three months, while Super 95 accounted for 27 percent.
The managers tried to justify the decision by saying that Super 95 "is potentially dominant according to its share in gasoline consumption", the Croatian Television quoted one of the managers.
Another reason why INA can control the price of Super 95 is the fact that this kind of gasoline is produced in Croatian refineries, while Eurosuper is imported, INA representatives said.
(1EUR =7.3 kuna)