Guernsey Press

'Cash cow' motorists paying more duty than in UK, Jersey

MOTORISTS continue to be the 'cash cow' and 'soft touch' when it comes to raising extra revenue for the States coffers, the president of the Guernsey Motor Trades Association has said, after a further rise in fuel duty.

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Policy & Resources announced yesterday it was hiking fuel duty by 5p per litre, meaning that for every litre put into a vehicle's tank, nearly 64p was filling States reserves.

This will give the States another £1.4m. a year.

The inflation-busting 8.5% bump was blamed on the declining volume of motor fuel used – down from 34 million litres in 2008 to 31 million this year.

As car engines had been getting more efficient, people had been paying less.

Andrew Sparks, the GMTA president, was disappointed that the States, in his words, continued to burden the motorist with a highly significant rise in fuel duty.

'It seems that we continue to be the cash cow for a lack of control of public spending and a soft touch in tax terms,' the Doyle Motors finance director said.

'We now pay 63.5p in duty and tax for every litre we purchase, which is higher than the UK at 57.95p and Jersey at 45.47p.

'This 8.5% rise will affect the vast majority of islanders, but particularly penalises families and those on low incomes, at a time when wages show only marginal increases.

'It is a sad time for Guernsey when it is more cost-effective to fill up your vehicle when returning to the island rather than departing from it.'

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