Government accused, yet again, of profiting from fuel price increases – Portugal Resident

With tomorrow seeing yet further price increases at fuel pumps throughout the country, PS Socialist leader José Luís Carneiro has challenged the government to take a new position to ease citizens’ financial pain.

“From tomorrow (Monday), the government will earn more than nine cents in taxes on diesel alone and more than six cents on petrol”. This means the government “is profiting from the sacrifices of the Portuguese people,” he said.

Speaking to journalists in Porto, he described the situation as the “government continuing to dip into the pockets” of its citizens, to make money from the knock-on consequences of the ongoing crisis. 

Since the United States, with Israel, launched the first attacks on Iran, fuel costs in this country have risen by 44 cents per litre (diesel), 30 cents (petrol).

Since the PSD/CDS-PP government took office two years ago, Portuguese people have paid more than €1.048 billion in fuel taxes alone, Carneiro added – all at a time when regular families are experiencing financial pressure and facing significant challenges due to the rising cost of living – particularly the increase in the price of essential foodstuffs, house rents and transport costs.

“We put forward proposals aimed at temporarily reducing VAT on fuel taxes, which CHEGA, Iniciativa Liberal and AD rejected in parliament,”  Carneiro stressed.

In his view, none of this is good enough: the government must take temporary measures tailored to households’ and businesses’ economic needs.

On Friday, in Viana do Castelo, the minister for the economy said that the government “remains vigilant” regarding rising fuel prices and is “constantly assessing whether further intervention is justified”, in addition to the discount on the Tax on Petroleum and Energy Products (ISP) currently in force.

The price per litre of diesel is expected to rise by 9 cents tomorrow, and that of petrol by 3.5 cents, if the current trend continues, according to an estimate by ANAREC, the National Association of Fuel Retailers, provided to Lusa.

Based on current figures from the DGEG, General Directorate for Energy and Geology – and taking into account forecasts of price movements based on Thursday’s market closen- the average price of regular 95 petrol is expected to rise to €2.009 per litre from Monday, while regular diesel is expected to reach €2.058 per litre.

Source: LUSA