Italy Considers Mobile Fuel Taxes, Social Cards Amid Price Hikes

The Italian government is exploring new measures to combat rising fuel prices, with Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti indicating that "mobile excise taxes and social cards" are under consideration. Foti defended the Meloni administration's efforts, stating that "the government Meloni" has done everything possible to "calm the price of fuels and prevent costs from falling on families' purchasing power." He cited past interventions, including a 5-billion-euro "bollette decree" and 2 billion euros allocated to address fuel costs since early 2023, which he claims had "absolutely positive effects."

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If there is a government that has done everything to calm the price of fuels and prevent costs from falling on families' purchasing power, it is the Meloni government.

Foti acknowledged that further actions might be taken in the coming days but stressed the need for "great prudence" due to the "complicated contingency" of the international situation, referencing potential instability in the Strait of Hormuz. He explained that the "mobile excise taxes," a mechanism introduced in 2008 but never used, are being reviewed for usability. This process requires a two-month time lag to assess VAT revenue increases from fuel prices, making immediate action difficult given rapid price fluctuations. The government is the "first to do so," he added.

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What we can still do, we will do, I think in the coming days. But everything must be done with great prudence, because we are in a complicated contingency for which no one can say what will happen in three days in the Strait of Hormuz.

Regarding the impact on lower-income households, Foti confirmed that "special measures on fuel through social cards is an idea that is being worked on." He also addressed concerns about public order, calling for unity in the face of "serious and worrying situations," such as recent "urban guerrilla warfare" and an attack on law enforcement during a No Tav protest.

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We have financed the bollette decree for 5 billion, a fundamental intervention for families and businesses.