Vehicles have been visiting gas stations more frequently in the last month. Some drivers even say that they have made friends with the employees. The fact that they have to fill up their car tanks more often does not mean that they drive more kilometers. There are endless such complaints from citizens, who doubt the quality of oil, gasoline and gas. They say that cars with 50 liters of fuel, if they used to drive 800 km, now drive 600 km.
"I was in Europe before, I don't know what it's like now, but I think they react more, while we are used to keeping our mouths shut and continuing as others tell us."
"Do you have doubts about the quality of the oil? Yes, of course! How much more has it been consuming in the last month? I'd say 60-70% more! Why is this happening? We are doubting the quality of the fuels."
"There is a big difference because here the oil is not of the same quality and the quantity is not exactly the same as a liter."
"We're behind the wheel all day and the expense is greater, the crowds in traffic have taken their toll lately, we have a problem but no one asks."
"Recently a disaster. Why? Prices! Apart from prices, have you noticed that the car costs you more? Yes, it's normal because it's not of the right quality, it's not of the right quality. Here we have nothing of quality, not just oil. Here we get what shouldn't be used in the world, they bring it to us."
To answer drivers' dilemmas, we visited the state fuel laboratory in Skopje. The Bureau of Metrology says that the quality of diesel, gasoline, and recently fuel oil is tested here, but they emphasize that they have not identified any violations by hydrocarbon traders in the country.
"This is one of the fuel samples brought from the gas stations directly to the Bureau of Metrology to verify the legal quality. According to the authorities, this meets at least the standard required in the European market, but it is far from the quality we know all over the world," reports Adnan Qaili, a journalist for Alsat.
The Bureau of Metrology admits that the quality of fuels is within the minimum limits prescribed by law, explaining that traders are left with the task of increasing the octane quality of gasoline and the cetane quality of diesel.
Bianka from this body of the Ministry of Economy said that in the last month they have increased field trips at the request of the Market Inspectorate. Now they go out twice a week to take 2 samples, but they do not explain why fuel in the country is being consumed faster recently, making fewer and fewer trips.
"Yes, that question usually comes from consumers. The quality of the derivatives varies from producer to producer, but we have the duty to verify the minimum quality requirements. Does it meet the standards? Everything that goes to higher quality is better for consumers, so we have different traders in the world," said Bianka Mangutova-Stoilkovska, Bureau of Metrology.
There are also numerous complaints from the Associations of Freight and Passenger Transporters in the country, saying that from a 400-liter tank in proportion to the kilometers, it turns out that they have consumed over 10% more fuel. According to the regulation on the quality of hydrocarbons in the Republic of Macedonia, gasoline must have at least 95 octane and diesel at least 51 cetane. Meanwhile, the state does not analyze the quality of gas at all.
