The recent increase in VAT and fuel taxes has disastrous consequences for hundreds of pumpholders in the border region. 53 percent of the inhabitants of the border area fill up in Belgium or Germany and as a result, the Dutch government also misses more than 1 billion euros in income every year. This is the conclusion of research by sector organizations BOVAG and NOVE in collaboration with Trendbox.
The petrol station entrepreneurs on the border suffer greatly from the differences in excise duties with neighboring countries. The difference in fuel sales and tobacco sales at border stations with the national average in some periods is no less than 17%. This is evident from the border monitor of branch association Beta, which was offered to CDA MP Pieter Omtzigt on Thursday morning. Because customers go to Germany and Belgium, some petrol station operators have up to 35% sales losses. If the planned excise tax increase per 1 January 2014 continues, many gas station operators will have to close their doors.
Oh yeah; have you heard that the rest of Europe is out of the crisis? Why? Because cutting back is something other than robbing someone else's field perhaps?