GRTU urge government not to increase excise on fuel

The Malta Chamber of SMEs, GRTU, urged government to reconsider its budgetary plans resulting in yet another increase in excise on fuel.

In a statement issued this evening, the GRTU said Maltese enterprises were paying an extra €0.30c per litre of fuel: “Increasing excise on diesel would be absolutely unacceptable.”

Earlier this year, the government announced that it was locking the price of oil till the end of year. “This would have obviously benefitted the country if the international price of oil were to increase. But, unfortunately, it looks like the country’s leaders can never get it right because we are now paying higher prices,” the GRTU said.

Acknowledging government’s “courageous” decision to stabilise the situation, businesses were now paying more because prices had gone up.

The GRTU said government had not yet confirmed whether it would increasing the excise on diesel: “However, we feel that this is going to be the case given the emphasises on indirect taxation made in the draft budgetary plan for 2015.”

It said that the burden on enterprises was high and although it could not change the price of fuel at this stage, government could however control the increase in fuel excise.

The GRTU said the government should also review the licences of commercial vehicles after reviews in Budget 2014 led to an increase of between €171 and €636.

“The government was extremely vague in its mention of indirect taxes. Since these were never discussed in MCESD meetings, we know urge the Minister to clarify these questions,” it said.