Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) wants to reduce the cost of refueling. According to the newspaper BILD, Lindner plans a reduction for car and truck drivers. His goal? The price of fuel should fall below 2 euros.
Fueling discounts will be introduced “immediately”
Germany’s finance minister is thus reacting to the recent explosion in fuel prices. In one week, the price of a liter of gasoline has risen by about 30 cents and diesel by more than 30 cents. Gasoline and diesel now cost well over €2.20 per liter, and even over €2.30 in some German regions. These are record values!
As a result, millions of commuters can basically no longer afford it. The head of the BGL trucking association, Dirk Engelhardt, even warned in an interview with BILD of the worst supply crisis in 70 years. Now relief is to come, Lindner wants to introduce a discount on refueling.
Drivers would receive the discount directly at the gas station. When paying at the cash register, the discount would be deducted from the total amount. The gas station employee will give the receipt to the Ministry of Finance. The amount of the discount has not yet been determined, but it would be 20 cents per liter, or perhaps even more. This would mean that with a 50-litre fill-up (e.g. at 2.25 euros/litre) and a discount of 20 cents/litre, the driver would have to pay 102.50 euros instead of 112.50 euros. This gives a saving of 10 euros. A decision on the amount of the discount is likely to be made this week. The discount is to be implemented “immediately”.
Another rescue package has been announced
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced a new bailout package. “Price rises across the energy sector are overwhelming for many people,” the economy and climate protection minister said in an interview with the German Press Agency in Berlin: “Extremely high heating costs, extremely high electricity prices, extremely high fuel prices burden households. The lower the income, the more this burden is felt. That is why the federal government will launch another aid package.”
As Habeck announced, there will be three criteria to be met. First, there must be simplifications for electricity, heat and mobility, the minister explained. “It is the high heating costs that overwhelm many families. The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs estimates that the gas bill for an average family in an unrenovated single-family home will increase by about 2,000 euros this year.
Second, energy efficiency and savings are also needed – this includes reducing fuel consumption when driving or replacing gas heaters, Habeck said. Third, further economic stimulus is needed so that the principle “the more efficient, the lower the costs” applies.
Habeck stressed: “These three criteria must be reflected in the relief package.” In this situation, the proposals of Finance Minister Lindner are still insufficient. The economy minister announced a rapid pace of work on relieving the burden on citizens: “The government will now prepare the whole package quickly and constructively”.
Source: www.t-online.de, www.bild.de, www.insidegermany.co