Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the government will reduce the fuel tax by half to help citizens facing soaring fuel prices caused by the Middle East war.
The Prime Minister announced this measure following discussions with state and territory premiers nationwide today (30 Mar) to plan responses to the worsening fuel shortage problem.
Australia declared it will cut the fuel excise tax at service stations from the original rate of 52 cents per liter (about 11.75 baht) to half that amount for a period of three months.
Officials said this measure will cost the government approximately 1.75 billion U.S. dollars (about 57 billion baht). Albanese also revealed that the government is working to lower fuel prices, recognizing Australians' serious concerns about the current situation.
Meanwhile, the government has sought to reassure motorists by stating that fuel deliveries to Australia continue uninterrupted. The rural fuel shortages stem from panic buying behavior and distribution system issues causing intermittent supply disruptions.
Victoria and Tasmania have made public transportation free, while the Prime Minister has urged drivers nationwide to reduce driving to save fuel. He said, “The less fuel we use in cities, the more we can allocate to rural areas facing shortages.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said dozens of fuel stations in the state are currently out of fuel. The government will prioritize assistance to remote towns and confirmed that if conditions worsen, additional measures will be implemented immediately.
The Australian Parliament has proposed legislation to empower the government to guarantee large oil orders via shipping to increase domestic fuel reserves. Government data shows Australia currently has enough diesel reserves for 30 days and petrol reserves for 39 days, a slight increase from last week.
Besides ordinary motorists, the government plans to reduce costs for truck operators by lowering road usage fees for trucks.
Data from the Fuel Check system shows rapid price increases over about one month. Average fuel prices in New South Wales rose from AUD 1.82 (about 40.98 baht) in February to AUD 2.48 (about 55.84 baht) today (30 Mar). Diesel prices have also surged to AUD 3 (about 67.55 baht).
/source:France24
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