Parties fume at fuel costs, call for subsidy reinstatement

Three political parties have released statements calling on the government to reinstate the fuel subsidy that was scrapped on July 1, causing an 8.3 cent per litre price rise for consumers.

Disy said “we believe the reinstatement of the measures for a limited period of time can be studied, so as to give breathing space to thousands of households, small- and medium-sized businesses, and the self-employed”.

They added that “the policy priority for this year should be to mitigate the consequences of the increased cost of living”.

The also pointed out that the relevant European Commission directive allows for emergency energy measures such as the fuel subsidy to remain in force until the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Akel’s general secretary Stefanos Stefanou penned an open letter to President Nikos Christodoulides, saying the government’s prediction that prices would not go up has proven not to be true.

He said the decline in consumption is “not unrelated to the decline in household purchasing power” and described the end of the fuel subsidy as “premature and wrong”.

Edek also released a statement of their own, saying the subsidy should be reintroduced to stop people buying fuel in the north.

They said the fuel subsidy should be reinstated in conjunction with “the tightening of control at the crossing points”, with the hope that less people buying fuel in the north will lead to greater fuel tax revenue in the Republic, which can then be spent on subsidies.