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SaS Calls for Cut in Excise Tax on Diesel to Offset Costs of Toll System
Friday 08 January 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, January 8 (TASR) - Extraparliamentary Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) called Friday for the reduction in high excise tax on diesel oil in order to offset the costly toll collection system brought on line as of January 1.
SaS chairman Richard Sulik also told journalists that the excise tax on diesel is the second highest (behind Great Britain) in the European Union. The price of diesel oil is at €1.14 per litre, including 48.3 cents in excise tax and 18.3 cents in value added tax, Sulik added.
His calls follow Prime Minister Robert Fico rejection earlier this week of similar demands from the hauliers to cut the tax on motor fuels. "They need to realise that the global economic crisis is on. This proposition is no longer relevant given the financial crisis the country faces.
Cutting the excise tax on diesel would result in cheaper diesel and represent a strong impetus for economic growth. "If two-thirds of drivers now tanking up outside of Slovakia were to start doing so in our country that would bring €119 million to the state coffers," said Sulik.
Moreover, should foreign transporters passing through Slovakia
fill up on as much diesel as they need for their trip in Slovakia that would bring overall sales of close to €135 million. "Such steps would fill in the state budget gap caused by a cut in tax on diesel, in fact erasing all of the deficit," he said.
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