- High fuel prices hit both households and companies hard, and Sweden is a country where many are dependent on the car.
The high prices have direct negative effects for everyone who commutes by car to work, says the Moderates' economic-political spokesperson Elisabeth Svantesson at a press conference on Tuesday.
M therefore proposes that the energy tax on diesel be reduced as soon as possible so that it reaches the EU minimum level for three months and that the energy tax on petrol be reduced to the same extent.
In addition, M wants to adjust the reduction obligation so that the fuel companies can postpone their costs for blending biofuels until next year.
Cost: 5.5 billion
The goal is to quickly reduce the price of a pump by SEK 5 per liter.
According to M, the proposal would cost the Treasury SEK 5.5 billion in non-payment of taxes, but it is considered that the Swedish central government finances are strong enough to handle it.
Among other things, they want the government to use hitherto unused corona support to finance the measure.
At a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Minister of Finance Mikael Damberg (S) said that the government is working on the issue of possible compensation to Swedish households for the increasing costs:
- The price development is quite dramatic right now, and we have shown during the winter that when we had a dramatic situation linked to electricity prices, we chose to act to protect Swedish households
According to Damberg, this could be larger travel deductions, tax cuts or direct compensation to affected households.
However, he believes that it is important that a possible measure does not drive up inflation.