Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Mirko Stanic of the European Alliance said that the Montenegrin Government has decided to profit from its citizens and businesses and to “take advantage” of the oil crisis by generating extra profits.

He stated that many European countries have reduced excise duties and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel.

“The abolition of the reduced excise duties just one hour before the deadline for setting new fuel prices shows the government’s attitude toward citizens’ living standards, because the price of fuel is, in one way or another, built into the cost of almost all goods and services in our country,” Stanic said in a press release.

He added that, based on the increased VAT, the Government will now earn six cents more per litre of fuel than it did before the war-related crisis in the Middle East.

“So much for the fight to protect citizens’ living standards, especially those with the lowest incomes and pensioners, because it is obvious that concern for them and for business costs exists only in PR statements,” Stanic said.

According to him, there is a clear intention to extract every last euro from people’s wallets, and the government of Milojko Spajic is not reluctant to profit from rising fuel prices on global markets.