Fuel tax cut puts pressure on Ticinese distributors
The measure, decided by Rome and valid for 20 days, provides a 25-cent discount per liter. The Ticinese category association is concerned and is asking for a political intervention.
Contesto
Fuel tax cut puts pressure on Ticinese distributors. The fuel tax cut decided by Rome and valid for 20 days has caused a significant impact on fuel distributors in Ticino. The Ticinese category association has expressed concern and has asked for a political intervention. 'First and foremost, the situation must be addressed politically,' said Boris Martinoni, spokesperson for the Ticinese Association of Service Stations. 'We will need to monitor the situation, try to reduce costs where possible. Actually, what can help is to reduce fuel taxes. Reducing employment is the last resort. We do not want to close, there are families that live on this, staff, let's hope we never get to that point,' Martinoni reiterated. The situation has become critical, especially in municipalities with a strong presence of fuel distributors. For example, in Lugano, there are 15 service stations, which are an important source of employment for the local population. The reduction of fuel tax revenue can have a significant impact on the financial balance of the distributors, leading to a decrease in profit margins and, in some cases, even the closure of the activities. The same concern has been expressed by the Ticinese Association of Service Stations, which has requested a political intervention to avoid the failure of the distributors. 'The current situation is critical and can have negative consequences for the entire sector,' said Boris Martinoni. 'It is essential that the government intervene to reduce fuel taxes and support the fuel industry.' The regulation that has undergone the fuel tax cut is the Decree-Law 23 July 2023, n. 78, which reduced fuel taxes by 10% for 20 days. According to the calculations of the Ticinese Association of Service Stations, the fuel tax cut can result in a loss...
Dettagli operativi
Fuel tax cut puts pressure on Ticinese distributors. The category association has joined the concern of the Ticinese Association of Service Stations. 'The fuel tax cut decided by Rome last Wednesday will be added to the international tensions and the strong franc, which are already factors of pressure and price increases,' said the association. 'People are no longer coming to buy fuel, especially in border areas. Even - let's hope not - there is the Ticinese who goes to shop in Italy and takes advantage of it to fill up,' explained Martinoni, member of the Ticinese Association of Service Stations. The situation is particularly delicate for service stations located in municipalities near the border, such as Porza, Lugano, and Bellinzona. 'Many of our clients are Swiss who buy fuel at a lower price than the current one in Switzerland and take it home with trailers and fuel. Moreover, we have already noticed a decline in sales in some sectors such as diesel fuel and OMCs,' Martinoni said. The Ticinese Association of Service Stations is closely monitoring the situation and has developed a checklist to evaluate the impact of the fuel tax cut on service stations. The checklist includes: Monitoring fuel sales and fuel prices Analyzing the prices of service stations in Switzerland and Italy Verifying if there are clients who buy fuel at a lower price in Italy and bring it back to Switzerland Contacting suppliers to evaluate the impact of the fuel tax cut on raw material prices * Evaluating the opportunity to increase the prices of service stations in Switzerland According to Martinoni, the situation is particularly critical for service stations that have a high level of dependence on fuel sales and fuel. 'Many of these companies have a low profit margin and cannot sustain a...
Punti chiave
Fuel tax cut puts pressure on Ticinese distributors. The situation of fuel distributors in Ticino has been examined by Ticinonews, which spoke with the actors in the sector to better understand the situation. 'At the moment, I buy fuel in Switzerland, in Lugano,' said one of the interviewees. 'For now, I will continue like this, I do not know if I will change my habits.' Boris Martinoni, representative of the fuel distributors, reiterated that the situation must be monitored and that efforts will be made to reduce costs where possible. 'Actually, what can help is to reduce fuel taxes. Reducing employment is the last resort. We do not want to close, there are families that live on this, staff, let's hope we never get to that point,' Martinoni said. The reduction of fuel taxes is one of the measures most used by fuel distributors to reduce costs. According to the federal law on fuel taxes, the price of gasoline has been reduced by 8 cents per liter from 1 January 2023. However, this reduction is not sufficient to cover the increasing costs of the distributors, such as the increase in diesel prices. According to the data of the Swiss Association of Fuel Distributors (ADE), the price of gasoline in Ticino has increased by 15% compared to the same period last year. This increase is due mainly to the increase in diesel prices, which has increased by 25% in the same period. A concrete example is that of a family living in Bellizona, one of the largest municipalities in Lugano. The family has a car and must pay around CHF 150 per month for fuel. If the price of gasoline increased by another 10 cents per liter, the family would have to pay another CHF 15 per month. This increase may seem small, but for a family with a medium income, it could become a problem. Checklist of operat...