A tank discount is to apply in Germany for three months from June 1st.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Despite the energy tax cut taking effect on Wednesday, the Federal Ministry of Finance is not expecting an abrupt drop in the price of petrol and diesel at filling stations. The tanks there are still filled with fuels that were delivered in May at the old tax rates, the ministry said on Monday.
Only gradually would the gas stations buy fuel with the reduced tax rates from June 1st. With the fuel bought later, the lower price is gradually reaching the consumer, it said: “We don’t have a moment for the price to tip over.”
The federal government will waive around three billion euros in taxes in the next three months to make petrol and diesel cheaper from June to the end of August. During this period, the energy tax on fuel will be reduced to the European minimum.
In purely mathematical terms, this means 29.55 cents less for petrol and 14.04 cents less for diesel. With normal tank behavior, the Ministry of Finance expects a loss of revenue of 3.15 billion euros.
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“It is now the task of the Cartel Office and Co to ensure that the tank discount reaches people,” tweeted Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP). The supreme German competition authority is assigned to Robert Habeck’s (Greens) Ministry of Economic Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the pricing of fuel sold at the filling station is the responsibility of the operator, regardless of the energy tax burden. The tax cut should be passed on in full to end consumers. In addition, the Federal Cartel Office, with its market transparency office for fuels, could in future examine more closely how the mineral oil companies set their prices.
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