The Council of Ministers has approved the new fuel decree, extending the excise duty cuts until May 1st.
Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti announced it after the government meeting at Palazzo Chigi: "We have just approved a decree. We are extending the existing excise tax reduction, which was due to end on Easter Monday, until May 1st."
"The cost of this measure," the minister added, " is around €500 million . €200 million is self-funded through increased VAT revenue, while €300 million is resources recovered primarily from ETS CO2 resources, which had not yet been used, taking care not to touch those originally earmarked for relief for energy-intensive users."
For many associations, however, the extension of the excise duty cut "is not enough to bring fuel prices back to acceptable levels." Codacons , for example, states: "Due to continued price increases at the pump, and despite the excise duty reduction enacted by the government on March 18, the price of diesel has returned to pre-tax levels, and as of today, it exceeds €2.10 per liter in nine Italian regions."
(Unioneonline)
