Skopje, 4 April 2026 (MIA) — The government will cut excise duties on fuel to protect consumers from rising energy costs, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced Saturday.

Starting Monday, the excise duty on diesel will drop by 4 denars per liter. The tax on gasoline will drop by 2 denars per liter. The government is scheduled to meet Sunday at 11 am to adopt these measures, Mickoski said.

The prime minister added that recent market fluctuations would have otherwise caused a sharp price hike.

"The oil market was closed Thursday ahead of the Easter holidays, and our calculations show that diesel should have gone up by around 7 denars and gasoline by 1.5 to 2 denars," Mickoski said.

With the new tax cuts, diesel prices are expected to rise by only 3 denars on Monday. If the fuel supplier OKTA extends its current 3-denar discount, consumers may see no price increase at all.

Gasoline prices are expected to drop by 0.5 denars. If OKTA maintains its 2-denar discount, the total price could drop by 2.5 denars per liter, he said.

Mickoski said the tax cuts will cost the state "tens of millions of euros" in lost revenue but insisted the budget remains stable enough because of responsible spending.

Additionally, Mickoski confirmed that the 10% VAT on fuels will stay in place for at least two more weeks. He said the government would continue to monitor the market and adjust policies as needed. mr/