The excise duty will be calculated in lei in 2015, and not in euros, and will be maintained at the value of 2014, following that in 2016 to be indexed with inflation, told Agerpres the Finance Minister Maria Ioana Petrescu.

“The 2015 excise will be of the same nominal value in lei, with the current year. In real terms, the duty falls, because there is an inflation of about 1.5%. From 2016 onwards this amount will be indexed to inflation and basically it will be formula – RON value indexed to inflation,” the official said.

The Finance minister said that several possibilities were analyzed and noted that she opposed from the beginning to a complicated formula that changes from year to year.

“In the recent past, the calculation contains an exchange rate euro/ leu from October1. This is not necessary. Basically, this has been done because, every year, the European Commission must verify if the excise duty is above the EU minimum. They must convert the euro the duty in every state, use the exchange rate and compare to see if excise in euro is above this minimum. We are above this minimum, there is no need to consider the current euro/ leu rate (…) I decided that the duty should remain at the same level as in 2014. Someone who paid 10 lei this year will pay 10 lei next year.

The excise duty will be expressed in lei, it seems normal, we are in Romania, we pay at the supermarket in lei, we receive salary in lei, I do not see why the excise duty should be expressed in euro, it will be expressed in lei. Next year remains at the exactly same value. Basically, in real value, this duty decreases, because there is an inflation of about 1.5%, “said Ioana-Maria Petrescu.