«In Sardinia the price of fuel at the pump is rising at an impressive rate, to the point that today, according to regional data from Mimit, the average price of diesel is soaring to 2,020 euros per litre, and petrol to 1,731 euros per litre (self-service mode)» .
This is the new complaint from Adiconsum Sardegna , which signals "an upward trend which, unfortunately, is nullifying the excise duty cuts ordered by the Government , with obvious damage for citizens and businesses".
"We were easy prophets," says President Giorgio Vargiu . "With a 24.4 euro cent cut in excise duty, the average price of diesel actually drops by just 9.7 cents compared to the price lists in effect before the tax cut. This is because oil companies raised prices before the tax cut was implemented and continued to increase them day after day, " explains Vargiu. "In terms of consumer spending, this now translates into a loss of 7.3 euros on a tank of diesel. Gasoline, on the other hand, drops by just 15 euro cents per liter compared to the prices in effect before the excise duty cut, resulting in a loss of savings for motorists of almost 5 euros per liter."
"This trend demonstrates how the government has only blunt weapons at its disposal to combat fuel price increases and price speculation. All announcements of controls and sanctions, unfortunately, remain a dead letter , as the Price Commissioner, the Financial Police, and the Antitrust Authority lack the adequate powers to halt price increases. "They told us," Vargiu continues, "that they had tightened sanctions against speculators, but not only have the sanctions not been tightened, they don't even exist. The Financial Police are carrying out widespread checks, but they won't be able to sanction those who charge high prices because they don't have the power to do so. They can only bark, but not bite, because the government hasn't given them the power to do so."
Adiconsum therefore urges the government to revoke Mister Prezzi and the Rapid Alert Commission, "bodies that have proven to be empty and expensive shells." The association also calls for "the introduction of a price cap: fuel cannot be considered a speculative luxury good, but an essential service for mobility and the country's economy." Adiconsum also calls for "the permanent introduction of a mobile excise duty system" and "new targeted sanctions aimed at targeting not only the form (communications and signs), but the substance, namely the unjustified increase in margins in the presence of state tax breaks."
(Unioneonline)