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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Germany is preparing a new tax break for gasoline and diesel for drivers. The Bundestag, in a fast-track process, approved a law that provides cheaper fuel.
What will change at the gas stations
The energy tax on gasoline and diesel will be reduced by 14,04 cent per liter. For diesel this is the maximum possible reduction within EU rules, so the same rate will be applied to gasoline, Spiegel reports.
Additionally, VAT will not be charged on the amount of tax from which drivers will be exempt.
In total, the savings will amount to 16,7 cent per liter, or about 17 cents.
The discount will be in effect from 1 October to the end of December.
The German government expects that, due to the tax cut, the budget will miss 2,485 billion euros. Half of these losses are to be covered by the federal states.
Why the decision sparked sharp debates
Representatives of the ruling parties CDU/CSU and SPD defend the decision as a way to quickly support drivers and businesses suffering from high fuel prices.
Financial politician of the CDU Stephan Corbach said that expensive gasoline and diesel put pressure on households and businesses.
Fuel
Average prices at the Amic Energy gas station network as of
Discount on fuel is the best available instrument that can be implemented quickly,
– he said.
However, opponents sharply criticize such an approach.
Green Party leader in the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eünnwald? (Note: placeholder for proper name) called the initiative a "foolish decision," stressing that these 2,5 billion euros were taken from family aid programs.
Does anyone among you still understand how people really live?
– Göring-Eckardt addressed the CDU/CSU and SPD representatives.
Now the law must be approved by the Bundesrat. A majority of federal states have already signaled support, so the government expects to launch the new fuel discount on time.
As a reminder, this is not the first attempt by the German authorities to artificially regulate prices at the pumps. During the first wave of fuel discounts in May and June, the federal government bore the costs entirely, but experts criticized the move for helping even those who do not need financial support.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Німеччина знову відкриває гаманець: Бундестаг ухвалив нове рішення для водіїв". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
