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.