Appearing on Banii Azi, TVR News, on January 20, Eugenia Gusilov, Director of ROEC, discussed the increase in fuel prices in Romania. She explained that the main reason for higher prices at the pump is the fiscal policy of the Romanian state. Following previous excise duty increases and VAT adjustments, excise duties rose again in January 2026. In short, Romanian drivers are indirectly contributing to reducing the budget deficit. Consequently, prices are not driven by international quotations, which remained consistently between 60 and 67 USD per barrel for Brent in January.