Good news for combustion drivers: Dutch gov't postponing excise hike on fuel by a year
The Dutch government has decided to postpone a planned increase in excise duty on gasoline and diesel by another year. That means fuel prices won’t skyrocket on January 1 as previously feared, sources close to the caretaker Cabinet told the Telegraaf and RTL Nieuws.
According to RTL’s sources, the final decision on this will be made during the Cabinet meeting on Friday. The measure will cost the treasury approximately €1.6 billion in expected income.
Finance Minister Eelco Heinen previously said that he “didn’t just have that amount lying around.” It is unclear where the Cabinet will cut back to cover it.
The Dutch government cut excise duties on fuel in April 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine and sparked a sharp increase in oil and, therefore, fuel prices. Since then, the government has extended the measure several times.
If the excise duty had increased in January as planned, petrol prices could have jumped by nearly 26 cents per liter.
The average gasoline price in Europe has been falling again in recent months due to a decrease in oil prices. But gasoline remains expensive in the Netherlands compared to other European countries.
