The government will not increase the excise tax on fuels such as gasoline and diesel more than previously planned. State Secretary Frans Weekers (Finance) promised that in the Lower House on Wednesday.
The inflation correction that has been in the law for many years does play a role, but the cabinet also has no increase in store that has to do with biofuels, according to Weekers. The reason for his remarks was questions from MPs about a message on Wednesday in De Telegraaf.
Weekers referred to the position of State Secretary Wilma Mansveld (Environment), who finds it an interesting idea to increase the excise tax on ordinary fuels in order to be able to lower the excise tax on more environmentally friendly biofuels. She may think so, Weekers said, but as a state secretary he deals with excise duties and he does not like it.
VVD and PvdA have agreed in the coalition agreement that from 1 January next the excise duty on diesel will be increased by 3 cents per liter and that on LPG by 7 cents per liter. These two increases should yield the treasury EUR 280 million.
Controversial test balloon
The idea of State Secretary Mansveld did not come out of the blue, she was inspired by a think tank led by former PvdA politician Dorette Corbey. The idea was against the sore leg of trade association BOVAG, which foresaw a massive fuel flight to pumps across the border, both by private individuals and transport companies.
At the beginning of August, the BOVAG warned the government that the excise duty income from fuel will turn out four hundred million euros lower than budgeted due to, among other things, the recession in the transport sector and that ordinary consumers should not suffer as a result. The BOVAG has announced that it is relieved that the plan has been canceled.