Government Parties Rely On Gasoline Price Brakes

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Government Parties Rely On Gasoline Price Brakes
Government Parties Rely On Gasoline Price Brakes

Video: Government Parties Rely On Gasoline Price Brakes

Video: Government Parties Rely On Gasoline Price Brakes
Video: Breakdown of gas prices | Supply, demand, and market equilibrium | Microeconomics | Khan Academy 2024, March
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In view of the price hikes at the petrol stations, the CDU and FDP want to help motorists with a petrol price brake. The SPD spoke of the noise of the election campaign.

With a gasoline price brake, the black-yellow coalition wants to jump to the side of motorists together with the federal states. The parliamentary groups of the Union and FDP called on the government to examine several options to prevent the price hikes at the petrol stations. More records are expected at Easter, the liter of super currently costs 1.70 euros.

At the request of Thuringia, the Federal Council also demanded a statutory regulation from the federal government on Friday. The options mentioned are the model practiced in Western Australia, with which the price for the following day must be announced the day before, which then may not be increased any further. The Austria model is also to be tested, where the price may only be increased once a day.

ADAC sees no relief effect

However, it should take several months before a possible regulation is reached, and the Federal Ministry of Economics is skeptical. The ADAC and the mineral oil industry see no relief effect in the plans. In Austria, pricing has become more transparent for consumers, emphasized the ADAC. However, this has not led to lower fuel prices.

On the contrary, there are even higher prices to be feared, too tightly calculated out of concern. "Blind actionism, as it is currently demonstrated by different sides, is not expedient," emphasized ADAC President Peter Meyer. "Drivers can only really benefit by strengthening competition."

The chief executive of the Mineralölwirtschaftsverband, Klaus Picard, said the legislature had to decide what was more important: a persistently high price or a lower fluctuating price. "If customers operate fuel tourism to Austria or Luxembourg, it is not because of the regulation there, but because of the lower taxes compared to Germany," said Picard.

Thuringia's Transport Minister Christian Carius (CDU) said, however, with a view to the Austria model: "Customers would benefit from this through a reliable upper price limit". Refueling has never been so expensive in Germany. And pricing has never been so opaque. “These yo-yo prices with jumps of ten cents and more in one day do not follow any comprehensible logic, said Carius and emphasized:“This makes mobility a luxury”.

SPD speaks of election campaign oath

The Parliamentary State Secretary for Economic Affairs Hans-Joachim Otto (FDP) said that the federal government had taken an important first step by banning the margin squeeze. Accordingly, the large petroleum companies are not allowed to sell fuel to independent filling stations at higher costs than they give it to their filling stations. It is important to further strengthen competition. Pure actionism does not help. The federal government is skeptical of the Western Australian and Austrian models, which put a stop to the price increases that occur several times a day.

Despite the record high at the gas station, the government does not want to increase the commuter allowance of 30 cents per kilometer for the time being. "There is no new position on the commuter flat-rate," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert in Berlin. “The flat rate for distance is not a flat rate for fuel,” emphasized Seibert. It applies to commuting to work regardless of the means of transport.

Ministry of Economics promises examination

The Federal Ministry of Economics announced an examination of the demands of the coalition factions of the Union and FDP, which provide for an analysis of the model practiced in Western Australia. In addition, a spokeswoman pointed out that the pricing of the mineral oil industry is being scrutinized more closely by the Cartel Office. Tapping into the oil reserves because of the high prices is not an option. It is regulated by law that this is only provided in the event of supply bottlenecks, said the spokeswoman.

The SPD sees the black and yellow plans as an election campaign noise. "Every year, right before Easter, unsuitable proposals from black and yellow to lower the rising fuel prices come in," said parliamentary deputy Ulrich Kelber. Sometimes the value added tax on gasoline should be lowered, sometimes the oil companies should be broken up. This year a law will be discussed again, according to which the fuel prices may only be changed once every 24 hours. Nothing has happened in all these years. “It is therefore very likely that this year's debate will only be election campaign noise for Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Kelber, calling the plans “the black and yellow Easter egg of 2012”. (dpa)

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