The government is to extend the discounted diesel scheme for commercial carriers across the whole country in 2017.
From the second half of this year, qualifying Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) can be filled up with cheaper diesel in four border areas to encourage drivers to use Portuguese filling stations rather than Spanish ones where fuel is significantly cheaper.
Deputy Minister, Eduardo Cabrita (pictured below) said the scheme will be rolled out across the country in 2017, being well aware than an estimated €1 million a day is being lost by the treasury in fuel taxes as motorists are travelling across the border to buy cheaper fuel.
At the end of an afternoon meeting with associations that represent freight companies (ANTRAM and ANTP), Cabrita announced that an agreement had been reached on defining four areas in which the commercial diesel pilot scheme is to be tested: Quintanilha, Vilar Formoso, Caia and Vila Verde Ficalho, with “the full agreement of carriers' associations."
According to Cabrita, this is an experimental measure until the end of the year and he expects that it then can be extended to all the country's stations in 2017, although he did not mention a date.
The Government will deliver a bill in parliament in the coming weeks to implement the scheme for next year which will cover vehicles of 35 tons and over.
According to Cabrita, the goal is to reduce the tax per litre to the minimum allowed by Brussels so Portugal will be able to compete with Spain on price.
After the meeting, the minister added that hauliers will qualify for a reduction of tolls on formerly free SCUT motorways so there will be "a more favorable differential treatment for freight transporters as from the summer of this year."
Comments
"a componente fiscal para os profissionais tendo como âmbito de aplicação os veículos com mais de 35 toneladas, tendo o limite mínimo de fiscalidade de 0,33 euros por litro que é estabelecido na diretiva comunitária aplicado, isto é, o mínimo de fiscalidade hoje aplicado em Espanha eliminando o diferencial atualmente existente"
Does anyone understand this? Is the government in Portugal in charge of its own tax revenue? Does Brussels have to be consulted on every minute change in the tax regime?
Any reduction in fuel tax may lead to benefits for the consumer (ANTRAM + ANTP) and thence to their customers in turn. I suspect that this is as close as the ordinary motorist is likely to get to a reduction or abolition in motorway tolls. And Prime Minister Costa can pretend that his pre-election promise was not a lie.