Fuels. Heaviest tax burden in Portugal compared to Spain and the European Union – O Jornal Económico
The tax burden on Combatentes in Portugal is higher than that registered in Spain and the European Union. In the most recent data, the weight of the national tax burden is seven points higher than that of Spain (both diesel and gasoline).
Without simple diesel, the tax burden in Portugal weighs 56% without a final price (1,393 euros per liter), against 52% registered in the European Union (1,277 euros) and 49% in Spain (1,206 euros). These data from the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) are for the second quarter of 2021.
“The tax burden in Portugal justified the practice of prices 19 cents per liter more expensive than in Spain. Without taxes, the national average prices are related to the taxes of the neighboring country”, concludes ERSE about ‘diesel’.
And he continues: the national average sales price “was above the average values of the EU-27, giving Portugal the 6th place among the most expensive prices. Without taxes, prices go up five positions in the EU-27 ranking”.
In simple 95 gasoline, the tax burden in Portugal weighs 60% with no final price (1,602 euros per liter), against 57% registered in the European Union (1,389 euros) and 53% in Spain (1,346 euros), according to data from ERSE for the second quarter.
In the case of simple 95 petrol, Portugal practiced an average sale price “without taxes lower than in Spain. The tax burden applied in Portugal (60%) justified the lowest price alternative in the context of the Iberian Peninsula. National PMVs are more expensive than the EU-27 average, ranking fifth among countries with the highest prices”.
Looking at prices without taxes, Portugal is once again leading in simple diesel: 0.619 euros against 0.168 euros in Spain and 0.609 in the European Union.
In simple gasoline, Spain leads in prices without taxes (0.639 euros per liter), against 0.634 euros registered in Portugal and 0.588 registered in the European Union.
Gasoline and diesel prices soar over 30% in Portugal
Price prices soared by more than 30% in Portugal in the space of a year and a half, straining the pockets of businesses and families.
Looking at the period from the beginning of 2020 to the present day, the minimum single diesel price in May 2020: 1,140 euros per liter. Currently, the average price for the month of October is 1,503 euros per liter.
From here it rose again until August 2020 (1,237 euros per liter), then dropping to 1,203 euros per liter in October of last year. Since then its ascent has been unstoppable.
Already the simple 95 gasoline also suffered an overwhelming rise since last year. In April 2020, gasoline reached an average price of 1,254 euros per liter at the pump. At the moment, this fuel costs 1,699 euros per liter, 35% more than in April of last year.
Looking at the daily prices, on May 2, 2020, gasoline reached the lowest price (in the period between the beginning of 2020 and today): 1.23 euros per liter. As of today, the average price of the 95 is 1.74 euros per liter. After all, simple 95 gasoline costs 41.4% more when the Portuguese go to the pumps.
The rise in prices is directly related to the increase in the price of a barrel of Brent oil, a reference for Portugal: in the space of a year Brent soared 96% to 83.18 dollars (closing price on Wednesday).
In an analysis of fuel prices in the first half of this year, the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) concluded that the tax burden in Portugal weighs 63% without the final price of 95 simple gasoline, against 60% of the European average. In the case of simple diesel, the regulator points out that the tax burden in Portugal weighs 58% and contains 54% at European level.
The price of prices is causing a revolt on social media. More than 200,000 people have already joined the group “Greve ao petrol” which advocates a strike on supplies on 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 October, as well as the blockade of the 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges.
The government has been pointing the finger at the profit margins of gas and oil companies. In an attempt to contain what he considers to be a practice of excessive margins, António Costa’s executive presented a proposal, already approved by Parliament, to limit margins within the limits. In Government accounts, this mechanism would allow a reduction of nine cents per liter of gasoline, and one cent per liter of diesel.
The objective is to set a “maximum sales margin for packages, a margin that is a sum of margins that have to do with transport, storage, wholesale and retail distribution. The sale of all of them, we know the reference values, which continue to be calculated on a daily basis by ENSE”, said the Minister of the Environment, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, in July, when the Government approved the measure.
Tariff prices. 175,000 defend strike on supply and blockade of bridges over the Tagus (with audio)