Five days ago, Minister Kaag was not at all in favor of a temporary reduction in fuel excise duties, but thanks to our southern neighbours, the cabinet has agreed: from 1 April, excise duties on petrol will be reduced by 17 cents per liter.
In the TV program WNL on Sunday, Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag said that although the cabinet was “hugely concerned” about the very high inflation in the Netherlands, it did not feel like a temporary reduction in excise duty on fuel.
“With such a measure, the motorist is given extra help, but it creates a deficit in the treasury, which means that cuts should be made in other areas, such as education or assistance to social minimums,” said the minister.
At that time the petrol price was almost 2 euros 35 cents per litre, four days later the barrier of 2 euros 50 cents was broken and the call for a reduction in excise duty became louder.
The fact that the government has now decided to reduce excise duties for petrol and diesel is not so much due to the fact that a different wind has started blowing, but because of the announced reduction in excise duties in Belgium.
The price difference, which has already risen to more than 50 cents per litre, would then become extremely large, which would particularly affect gas stations in the border region.
The price for petrol now consists about half of excise duties and VAT, for diesel it is about 40%. As of April 1, the excise duty will be reduced by 17 cents for unleaded petrol and 11 cents per liter for diesel.
Today, for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the average price for petrol dropped by 2.4 cents from € 2.502 p/l to 2.478 p/l.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.