Carabulea: Those who said prices would rise by 4.2% are not involved in business

Ilie Carabulea, one of the wealthiest people of Sibiu,
controlling several road transport firms and Banca Carpatica as
well, maintains he raised coach ticket prices by 10-15% in the case
of Atlassib, the operator specialising in international road
transport, and that the increase will also be visible in the case
of the other companies he owns. “Those who said prices would rise
by only 4.2% are not in involved in business, in production. I had
to raise coach ticket prices as a result of the rising fuel prices
and VAT hike,” said Ilie Carabulea, owner of Atlassib and domestic
road transporters Transdara and Transmixt. “I expect a VAT
increase. The state has very high operational costs and when you
urgently need money for the state budget you cannot avoid raising
VAT, the more so as pensions were no longer cut,” Carabulea said.
In the case of Atlassib, although demand dropped by 3%, with a
number of 121,622 passengers in the first quarter, RON turnover
stayed at the level of last year’s first three months, at 55m RON
(13m euros). Carabulea specifies he will focus on slashing
expenses, as this is the only way he can secure a balance for
companies.