Diesel fuel remains above 2 euros and continues to rise , and truck drivers take to the streets . Trasportounito has declared a national ban on trucks from April 20th to 25th, and Unatras has called for permanent assemblies in the squares of 100 Italian cities. Trade associations speak of an "unsustainable situation" and an "absolute emergency." Meanwhile, the operators of the Faib Confesercenti and Fegica fuel pumps have filed a complaint with Mister Prezzi , the guarantor of the Ministry of Enterprise. They accuse the energy companies of not yet having published the recommended selling prices on their websites , as required by the fuel decree of March 18th. The price of diesel fuel has risen again today, albeit slightly. According to the Ministry of Enterprise, it has reached 2.059 euros per liter. Petrol has also risen, to 1.750 euros . But on the highways, diesel costs 2.118 euros per liter, petrol 1.813 euros. By cutting excise duties until April 7th, as enshrined in the fuel decree, the government aimed to reduce prices by 25 cents per liter and keep diesel prices under €1.90. But the war in Iran continues to drive up prices, and the increase has already undermined the government's objectives.
And next Tuesday, the excise tax cut will end , unless it's extended or the government introduces new measures. Franco Pensiero, president of Trasportounito, speaks of an "absolute emergency, caused by the uncontrolled increase in fuel prices." The increase "has a lethal impact on the already fragile balance sheets of trucking companies" and "could immediately trigger truck idles in their depots." For these reasons, concludes the leader of the truckers' association, "the national idle period has been declared from April 20th to 25th, despite the objections expressed by the Strike Guarantee Commission." Truckers from Unatras, another trade association, are also announcing protests. "Truckers will take to the streets in 100 Italian cities," they announced in a statement, "convening permanent assemblies to decide on the next steps, in light of the situation generated by international tensions in the Middle East."
A move that could represent "the prelude to an even broader and more organized protest on the roads ." Unatras denounces the cost of diesel "steadily above 2 euros per liter ," despite the excise duty cuts enacted by the fuel decree of March 18, and "a situation that has become unsustainable for the entire freight transport sector. " Some clients "not only fail to recognize the increased costs due to fuel, but are even demanding further discounts on road haulage services." And the measures enacted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport have proven "insufficient."
In this complicated situation, fuel pump operators are accusing oil companies of a lack of transparency and have filed a formal complaint with Mister Prezzi. None of them, write Faib Confesercenti and Fegica, "has yet complied with the obligation," required by the fuel decree, "to ensure the adequate publication on their websites of recommended retail prices to end customers." "This war is costing us €80 million a day, €16 million in fuel alone," commented Five Star Movement Senator Mariolina Castellone. "On the other hand, energy companies have already raked in €83 billion in extra profits. So we always say we should get resources where they are available, and then the resources the state invests must be invested in supporting real-life citizens and businesses."
(Unioneonline)