The government rebate ranging from 15 to 18 cents per liter of fuel is now effective everywhere in France, Friday 1er April, enough to relieve motorists faced with soaring prices at the pump for months.
Faced with prices that have passed the bar of 2 euros per liter on average, and among other measures against inflation, the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, announced this discount for four months in mid-March.
The discount will be “available in all service stations in France”, in mainland France and in the overseas territories, assured the government on Thursday. It concerns both individuals and professionals: farmers, fishermen, road hauliers, taxis, construction professions, etc.
“We expect a water hammer during the first days of April”, indicates Frédéric Plan, general delegate of the French Federation of fuels, fuels and heating (FF3C), which notably represents independent service stations. According to him, motorists had been waiting lately to refuel, “because, as long as you replenish your tank, you are waiting for the measurement to open”.
“It is a point of vigilance”confirmed the government, which “does not exclude that, here and there, there are situations with stations that are temporarily dry”.
17 cents in Corsica, 15 cents overseas
The rebate will rise to 18 cents including tax per liter in mainland France, a difference which is explained by the amount of VAT applied in the various French territories. It will be around 17 cents in Corsica where VAT is lower and 15 cents overseas, where there is no VAT on petroleum products.
Some distributor networks add their own promotions to the measure of the government, which will devote three billion euros to it. The price displayed at the pump will include the rebate, whereas initially the government had said that the reduction would not be displayed on the station totems and would be applied at the checkout.
Distributors have themselves benefited upstream from the discount, at central purchasing level, since Sunday, which should allow the system to be fluid when it comes into force.
The government has also provided an advance for small independent stations, often located in the countryside, which sometimes only renew their tanks every ten or even twenty days, so that they can apply the discount from 1er April.
A more targeted measure to come
A decree published Thursday also extended the cash advance to medium-sized stations, a measure welcomed by the profession, which believes that the rebate should be available from Friday at the vast majority of distributors. “Provided that the service station distributors concerned, that is to say those who have non-discounted stock, are informed and understand that they can do so with a cash lag of only a few days”nuance Frédéric Plan.
“We will be extremely vigilant on the implementation, on the fact that all the public money paid upstream is passed on to the end consumer.we assured the government. All prices are reported in real time on the site fuel-prices.gouv.fr, where we invite the French to go, to see who has the most competitive prices. »
Unhappy with the government’s announcements, some professionals had however joined filter dams, blockages of oil depots and refineries throughout France last week.
After July 31, the date on which this system will expire, another system will take over, “Which will be more targeted, especially for big riders, low-income households”, predicted the government, for which it needed this time so that a bill could be implemented. A text expected after the elections.