Fresh effort to fight illegal fuel trade
The government announced on Tuesday a set of measures to combat illegal fuel trading, promising to cut the special consumption tax on the commodity if tax evasion is contained next year.
The enforcement of the measure, which provides for the full monitoring of fuel inflows and outflows throughout the fuel supply chain, from the refinery to the consumer, was announced by Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, who had originally introduced the measure the last time he served in the post back in 2009. This has been a longstanding demand by gasoline station owners.
Other measures concern the lifting of barriers in the transport of fuel and the introduction of transparency rules for the pricing of the commodity, allowing for full monitoring by the state, while Deputy Finance Minister Giorgos Mavraganis did not rule out the use of the same type of diesel for vehicles and for heating.
