By Chrysostomos Tsoufis
Whatever hopes there were for providing one new fuel subsidy package through any “surplus” that would result from the increased fuel prices, “extinguished” with the publication of implementation of the budget for the first 4 months of the year. Increased fuel prices do not automatically mean increased revenues for the state.
In the first 4 months of the year, the budget funds were entered by him VAT on fuel € 113 million in addition to the estimates made due of course to the increased prices at which 24% is imposed. On the other hand, however revenue from the EFK was lower by € 108 million, since this tax is unit and not proportional, ie it is imposed as a fixed amount on each liter sold. And the liters sold are now much less. With a € 5 million positive balance, no package can be financed.
To the reasonable question of many why the VAT is not reduced, in YPOIK they are categorical that such a thing needs a large fiscal space which does not exist. “If I thought I didn’t need financial space, I would be crazy not to do it” said characteristically to ANT1 about the reduction of VAT Theodoros Skylakakis.
Negative developments with fuel revenues, do not mean that there will be no intervention as is a priority for the government, which is looking for space. A source of space, they could generally be budget revenue which in the 4 months appear increased by € 1.7 billion against tonnage calculations. Only revenues from VAT – excluding energy and tobacco – are increased by € 644m and income tax is “inflated” by € 153m.
THE tourism can bring in more revenue as well. The budget has been “set” in the assumption that this year we will have 80% of the revenues of 2019. The first indications show that … we can do even better. A third source of revenue may be natural gas whose international price has de-escalated in the area of ​​85 € / MWh and if it stays at these levels it will lighten the budget. This is because the calculations for the energy package until the end of the year have been made based on an international gas price of 100 € / Mwh. An official of YPOIK told skai.gr. that in such a case the money that would be released would be enough ….
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
