A PETITION has been launched by a leading supplier to cut fuel duty to help ease the escalating cost of living crisis.
ATF Fuels wants government ministers to reduce fuel duty by 2.5p per litre on petrol and diesel – to bring it down to 5.5p per litre – and a cut for renewable fuels of 3p per litre.
Jon Best, director of ATF Fuels, said: ‘International fuel prices have increased by over 30% since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
‘Last month, the UK government reduced fuel duty for petrol and diesel by 5p per litre across the whole of the UK for 12 months. Ireland also reduced fuel duty by approximately 17p per litre.
‘At ATF we have done everything we can to mitigate the fuel increases but more needs to be done to support Jersey consumers now.’
The company is not the first to call on officials to make reductions. Last month Carl Walker, chair of the Consumer Council, laid out a five-point plan designed to help people ‘weather the storm’ of an ‘unprecedented’ rise in prices which has pushed the cost of many everyday items to record highs.
One of those points included reducing the duty on motor fuel by 9p per litre, which Mr Walker said would comprise the recent 5p duty rise and 4p environment levy introduced to fund action to tackle climate change.
However, Treasury Minister Susie Pinel said at the time that the government had no plans to slash fuel duty.
Mr Best said: ‘The government has the fiscal flexibility to make this reduction now given the increased revenues from GST arising due to the increase in fuel prices.
‘Fuel duty increased to 63.89p per litre in January 2022. We are proposing an immediate fuel duty cut of 2.5 pence per litre as a temporary measure for the coming months, which we believe equates to the additional GST being received.’
He added that the reduction on fuel duty could be introduced before the States election and upcoming purdah period.
‘We have written to the Treasury Minister this morning setting out why we believe this proposal is a win for government and consumer,’ he said.
