CHANCELLOR George Osborne (pictured) has been urged by a Warrington-based energy company to maintain the freeze on fuel duty at 57.95ppl in the forthcoming Summer Budget.
Ramsay MacDonald, retail director of Certas Energy, said: “Our industry already suffers from tax on tax and with fuel volumes slowly returning after a difficult few years, it would be a disaster, especially for many rural sites who already struggle to make ends meet, if the Chancellor were to see fuel duty as a short term revenue booster.
“Ideally we would want to see fuel duty cut, reducing prices and stimulating growth, but we recognise that a long term commitment to maintain the current freeze is more realistic.
“Anything that the Government can do to prevent pump prices rising is a benefit to all consumers.”
In addition, MacDonald also asks Government to review the current method for determining the business rate value of forecourt shops; currently valued on shop turnover rather than sales area.
“It cannot be right that a Sainsbury Local or Tesco Express of a comparable size can pay half of the rates of a forecourt. The system is anti-competitive; all we ask for is a level playing field.”
Chancellor urged to maintain fuel duty freeze
00 Comments
