A FUEL duty freeze included within the government’s newly-unveiled budget has been welcomed by a local distributor.
ATF Fuels director Jonathan Best said he was “pleased” that the government had announced a freeze on fuel duty for 2025, should its financial plans be approved by the States Assembly.
The government has cited a need to “support Islanders with the ongoing challenges of the cost of living” as part of its rationale for the move, which follows a freeze on road-fuel duties in 2023 and 2024.
Mr Best, who made headlines in 2022 when he launched a petition calling for reductions in fuel duty, described the proposal as “welcome news”.
He continued: “When you look at other jurisdictions where there have been duty freezes for a long time, it’s definitely a lever that government can pull which helps.”
Acknowledging annual freezes introduced under the previous government, Mr Best said that he was pleased to see “a level of consistency” from the Island’s politicians.
“There is a period of time to let things settle down,” he added, noting that fuel was a “volatile” market.
Ministers are also proposing to freeze alcohol duty in 2025, in what would be the fifth year it has been either frozen or held below inflation.
Dominic Jones of JP Restaurants said this was “positive”.
However, he pointed out that there many other factors – such as the impact of the cost of living on Islanders’ spending ability – affecting the hospitality sector.
“Inflationary cost increases are getting easier to manage but revenues still need to pick up,” he added, describing the industry as a “shadow of its former self”.
