The excise tax on petrol will be reduced by 30 cents per liter and that on diesel by 14 cents. It is not clear when the three-month tax cut will take effect. In the Netherlands, fuel excise duties will be reduced as of April 1, on petrol by 17 cents and on diesel by 11 cents. In Belgium, excise duties on fuel have already been reduced.
Public transport much cheaper
Public transport in Germany is also becoming much cheaper. A monthly ticket will cost only €9 for the next three months. In addition, people on welfare will again receive a one-off amount of €100, on top of a comparable amount that had already been promised. In addition, taxpayers will receive a compensation of €300 and the child benefit will increase by a one-off amount of €100.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner said this package of measures from the governing coalition shows that the people of Germany can count on the government to act in the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
Coal plants
Berlin also announced that it would also consider keeping coal-fired power stations open for longer. Germany actually wants to phase out coal completely by 2030, but due to the war in Ukraine, the German government wants to become much less dependent on Russian gas and therefore may have to continue with coal for longer.
Coal accounts for about a quarter of Germany’s electricity production. The country relies on supplies from Russia for about 65% of its gas supply.