Government to Announce Return of CPN Program. Fuel Prices to Be Lower Again.

Poland's government is reportedly considering the return of a program to lower fuel prices, a move that could offer relief to drivers facing high costs at the pump. Prime Minister Donald Tusk is scheduled to hold a press conference, where the issue of fuel prices is expected to be a central theme.

The potential reintroduction of the "Lower Fuel Prices" (CPN) program follows earlier government efforts to regulate fuel costs. In late July, Tusk had indicated that the government would propose regulated fuel prices for at least the final two weeks of the summer holidays if global oil prices rose due to Middle East instability. However, the implementation of such measures is complicated by budget limitations and political disagreements.

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Sytuacja na rynku ropy się stabilizuje. Oczywiście wiemy, że ceny na stacjach benzynowych są nadal wysokie i chcielibyśmy, aby były niższe. Natomiast mamy pewne ograniczenia budżetowe, a prezydent Nawrocki zdecydował się zablokować ustawę (od nadzwyczajnych zysków firm paliwowych), dzięki której mielibyśmy w budżecie trochę ponad 4 miliardy złotych więcej

Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański stated that the situation on the oil market is stabilizing. While acknowledging that pump prices remain high, he pointed to budget constraints and a presidential decision to block a law that would have provided over 4 billion Polish zloty (approximately $1 billion) in additional revenue from a tax on extraordinary profits of fuel companies. This veto significantly hinders the government's financial capacity for intervention.

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Ale czy taka decyzja zapadnie, to jeszcze musimy zostawić sobie kilka dni

Domański indicated that, due to legislative reasons, the only immediate option might be to reduce the VAT on fuels. However, a final decision on this matter is still pending. The CPN program, which involved reduced VAT rates and maximum price caps on certain fuels, expired at the end of June. The cost of the previous CPN program was approximately 4.7 billion Polish zloty, which was intended to be offset by the windfall tax on oil companies.

Minister of Energy Miłosz Motyka expressed frustration with the presidential veto, noting that it complicates intervention efforts. He mentioned that the government is exploring various options, including potentially taxing gas companies or adapting the tax model to resemble the CIT tax on banks. Motyka highlighted that arguments about the effectiveness of similar taxes in 2022 under the previous government are not resonating with the President's Chancellery. Meanwhile, Orlen, the national oil company, claims its retail margins are already at a minimum and that it is trying to keep prices stable through ongoing promotions. Orlen explains that its refinery margin is directly dependent on global commodity prices and cannot be actively managed, unlike the commercial margin, which can be influenced by business decisions.

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Decyzja prezydenta o skierowaniu ustawy o podatku TK utrudnia nam tu interwencje. Rozważamy obecnie różne opcje W pierwszym kroku planowaliśmy objąć nowym podatkiem zysk spółek paliwowych. Analizujemy obecnie ew. objęcie nowym podatkiem zysków spółek gazowych. Rozważamy także, aby nowa wersja podatku była zbliżona do podatku CIT od banków. Decyzje prezydenta utrudniają nam tu jednak pole działania.