The GRTU has added its voice to a chorus stretching from Britain to Bulgaria urging governments to cut duties on fuel, particularly diesel.

Diesel in Malta is taxed at €0.34c per litre.

“To make matters worse, over and above this tax there is also the 18% VAT. This simply means that for every litre of diesel our members put in the tank to enable them to distribute, deliver or transport goods or people, 50% of what they pay goes to the government as TAX, and then this burden is blamed on the sheiks,” the GRTU said in its news string.

Its director-general, Vince Farrugia, who raised the issue at last week’s meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, said the government could not continue to increase its revenue every time the sheiks put the oil price up, as most small business owners simply could not take it anymore.

“It’s high time something is done to control inflation...reducing the duty on diesel to mitigate for price increases from overseas is a very good point from where to start,” Mr Farrugia said.

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