In one year, the price of diesel in Norway has increased by 49%. The price of petrol has increased by 43% in the same period, according to figures from Statistics Norway (SSB).
The price of petrol and diesel continues to rise. In the last month alone, the price of fuel has increased by 8.1% for petrol and 6.7% for diesel, respectively.
The average price for a liter of petrol in May this year was NOK 22.96, and the diesel price was NOK 22.39.
The Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) believes the Norwegian government is dragging its feet when it comes to cutting fuel taxes. In an email to Norway Today, the NAF’s Head of Governmental Affairs Thor Egil Braadland warned that the prices disproportionately affect rural areas.
“We are strongly disappointed that the government doesn’t give any signs of fulfilling their promise to cut fuel taxes, as written in the government platform. The high prices are particularly rough for rural areas, where car dependency is high, and the share of electric vehicles (EVs) is low,” Braadland stated.
Mitigating the fuel price increase
Braadland says that the NAF has proposed several measures that could rein in the crisis.
“There are several ways to combat the fuel prices. We have provided the government with a menu of possible measures. Almost half of the fuel prices in Norway are fuel taxes or VAT, so the most obvious measure is to cut fuel taxes.
“We have also suggested a one-time cash payout to car owners, as they did in Sweden. Other measures are cuts in road taxes and cuts in other car taxes (ownership change tax, ownership tax).
He also pointed to positive examples in other countries.
“Several countries in Europe have met the soaring fuel prices with cuts in taxes, cash payouts, and/or regulated fuel prices. We are surprised that Norway, with the world’s second-highest fuel prices and a government that has promised to cut these taxes, has not done anything to counter the soaring fuel prices,” Braadland concluded.
Robin-Ivan Capar is a contributor and editor at Norway Today.
Source: #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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This government and financial minister by far does not care for its people. He is laughing at us and all the way to the bank, like he is going to keep the money.