Fuel check: still “work” to develop it, according to Bruno Le Maire – franceinfo

“There is still work to be done” to develop a fuel check to offset the increase in prices at the pump, said Monday, October 18 the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, adding that he preferred the option of a check to a reduction in taxes . The stake is “above all [de] know that it can happen as quickly as possible to the French “ in need, he explained on Europe 1 radio.

>> Gas, electricity, fuels … Visualize the increase in your bills in three graphs

Bruno Le Maire said in any case “more favorable” the creation of a fuel voucher, on the model of the energy voucher, than a reduction in taxes on diesel and gasoline. A tax reduction is “unfair” because it would not target households that need it most and “it is very expensive”, because a drop of one cent, hardly noticeable, represents “half a billion euros” less in the state coffers.

Furthermore, “it is a subsidy on fossil fuels, precisely what we want to avoid” in the strategy to fight against global warming, said Bruno Le Maire. The government has announced on several occasions that it is considering setting up a mechanism to deal with soaring fuel prices. “There will be short term action”, Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.

The government has already set up last month, with payment scheduled for December, an exceptional energy check of 100 euros for the nearly 6 million households already benefiting from this device. The cost will be 600 million euros. In addition, the cap on the increase in electricity prices expected in February will cost the State 5 billion euros.