Diesel prices are close to €2.30 per liter on the island. Codacons: "There's a risk of further price increases despite the discount."

Fuel prices in Sardinia remain among the highest in Italy . Yesterday, the Council of Ministers announced the extension of the excise duty cut until October 5th . This morning, average price data released by Mimit show that the cost of self-service diesel fuel on the island is €2,277 per liter: the highest among the regions after Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sicily, and Valle d'Aosta . Gasoline, on the other hand, costs €2,152 per liter, again in self-service mode.

Following the government's announcement, Codacons raised the alarm again : "The excise duty measure approved yesterday by the Council of Ministers will bring the price of diesel to nearly 2.50 euros at self-service stations on the motorway starting next September 26."

Regardless of how diesel prices at the pump fare in the coming days, the association emphasizes, the decision to reduce the tax discount from 17 to 12.2 euro cents will result in a higher cost of 2.4 euros on a full tank of diesel from September 18th to 25th. This will rise to 5.45 euros from September 26th to October 5th, considering that during that period the discount will drop to just 6.1 euro cents.

Furthermore, Codacons continues, "based on the recent upward trend in fuel prices, and if this trend continues in the coming days, the reduction in the discount will cause a litre of diesel on the motorway to exceed the psychological threshold of 2.50 euros per litre starting next September 26."

"The consequences of the government's decision to limit the excise tax discount will be extremely serious : the increased spending burden for families will lead to a loss of purchasing power that will impact consumption, with damage to the entire national economy," concludes the consumer protection association.

(Unioneonline/lf)