Diesel price up 15c in nine months – GRTU

The 1c per litre increase in the price of diesel will add up to an extra €30 to €45 a week for businesses that use heavy transport, according to the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU.

The price of diesel rose by a “staggering” 15c between January and November to €1.12 from 97c a litre, the GRTU said.

The government did not realise the tremendous pressure on all transporters and distributors and all fixed machinery operators who depended on fuels to run their equipment, it said.

Enemalta announced the hike on Sunday, when the price of diesel, kerosene and gasoil went up by 1c and those of unleaded and lead-reduced petrol remained unchanged.

The price of fuel had already gone up last week as a result of a Budget measure that levied a 3c per litre rise in excise duty.

The GRTU has been calling for direct support to small business owners and self-employed who operate in food production, waste carriage and construction, saying they found it very hard to pass on the increase to clients because few had a fuel price escalation clause in their contract.

Also, pushing up excise duty on fuels at this moment in time was “illogical” and the government could not blame it on the EU as it had done previously, GRTU director general Vince Farrugia said. “The additional increase of diesel and fuel oil prices by Enemalta was not sufficiently explained by the Malta Resources Authority, which is there to safeguard users’ interest,” he said.