A proposal for proactive measures against the expected rise in petrol prices was unveiled by the Association of Automobile Industry in Finland, an organisation of the country’s car importers and car industry.
The organisation calculates that petrol prices may increase by 25–55 cents per litre from the start of 2024. By releasing its plan five months before the elections, the organisation, which accounts for almost 100% of new vehicle sales in Finland, wants to put pressure on the next government.
Copying some of what’s already been used in Sweden, the car sector urges the government to implement a purchase subsidy programme of four years for fully electric cars. When buying an electric vehicle, the subsidy for the first year would be €5,000. The subsidy would then decrease, being in the fourth year, €2,000.
Another means would be to lower the tax on biofuels. The current excise tax on biodiesel is 31 cents per litre. According to car importers and the car industry, it should be lowered by 16 cents.
Thirdly, electricity produced with renewable energy should be included in the distribution obligation, and operators and distributors providing it could gather bonuses. The mechanism could ease the pressure for higher petrol prices and boost the construction of public charging points. The distribution obligation means that a certain percentage of the transport fuels supplied by fuel distributors must be renewable fuels.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
