WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE ITALY - news journal UPDATE - (en) Italy, FAI, Umanita Nova #10-26 - Excise duty cuts: who pays and who profits? (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The Official Journal contains Decree-Law No. 33 of March 18, 2026, containing "Urgent provisions regarding oil prices related to the international market crisis." The measure, effective March 19, concerns the temporary reduction (for 20 days!) of excise duties on gasoline, diesel, and LPG. The excise duty reduction is a state-funded tax cut to prevent soaring costs for businesses and families. It does not address spiraling prices or speculative dynamics; it simply uses public money to limit the damage, allowing speculators to sleep soundly.

The government sources its financial resources from universities and healthcare. Indeed, to prevent the excise duty cut from being linked to yet another attack on the social rights represented by education and healthcare, the resources are being diverted from the relevant ministries. As if it weren't true that budget cuts to a ministry that provides essential services aren't just "paper cuts," but always translate into fewer resources available for public services to citizens.

Then there are "image interventions," such as the so-called transparency requirement for fuel suppliers, which in practice appears to be reduced to the usual price summary billboards.

Market reasons, once again, prevail over social reasons. And there's also yet another tax credit for fuel purchases for road haulage companies.

The government is stalling, unable to intervene at the source, making cuts to ministries (cuts that may even affect significant sources of expenditure) simply to avoid responsibility for a war unleashed by its allies, the US and Israel. Worse still, it's doing so on the eve of the referendum vote, with interventions that will only last 20 days. The government hopes that the war will be over in the meantime and citizens will vote yes in the referendum. This is the Government's great foresight.

Valentina and Federico - CUB

https://umanitanova.org/tagli-alle-accise-chi-paga-e-chi-ci-guadagna/
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Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca