Gas stations in Tsipras: ‘With price increases, only thieves win’

The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Gas Traders (POPEK) Themis Kiourtzis and the vice-president of ENBETH, Christos Stavrakis spoke about a dramatic situation in the fuel in a meeting they had with Alexis Tsipras, during his tour in Thessaloniki.

They stressed that the huge increase in fuel prices has led to a drop in consumption by 20 to 25%, emphasizing that “we must consolidate the market by reducing taxes.” “When we reduce the price, it makes sense for consumption to increase. We can not rush the consumer with excessive costs by saying” I need the money “. You need the money but find another way to find it and get it, noted the President of POPEK.

At the same time, they agreed on the remark of the President of SYRIZA PS that the reduction of taxation will lead to the fight against smuggling, pointing out that “in this part of the price increase the only winner is the thief. Because when he took a liter he won 1, 5 euros while now he steals a liter and gets 2 euros “.

“Gas stations are companies that offer to society, 25 people work here. Because the state talks about the 5-6 billion from fuel taxes, we collect them here in euros-euros. Billions of taxes are taken by the state from fuel, which “We collect them and take them to the state coffers with the grader,” they stressed and demanded substantial measures against smuggling.

In fact, citing industry estimates, they talked about the circulation of 70,000 tons of illegal natural gas per year. “70 thousand tons is 125 million liters, they have entered 4.5 million cars. What does that mean? Smuggled is not sold with a receipt. It means that 4.5 million receipts were not issued or were forged. This gas was traded with 8-10,000 “All the representatives of the industry that asked for legitimacy were attacked and the president of Athens and we were attacked.” evading taxes.

“If you, as a state, earned 400 million, it is as much as the EFK paid by the consumer of heating oil. That is, if you caught all this, you could reduce the EFK to heating oil to zero”, they stressed at a time when heating oil is sold 1 , 70 euros. “Heating has become a luxury,” they said, complaining that due to the extremely high price of gasoline, many people go to Bulgaria to fill their car tanks.

Earlier, in the tour that Alexis Tsipras made in the market of Kalamaria, citizens and shopkeepers welcomed the President of SYRIZA PS and wished him for his name day.

During the discussions they had, everyone was concerned about the huge wave of accuracy. “People can not make ends meet,” a local shopkeeper told him, referring to a fivefold increase in bills. “The first thing that everyone looks at is the bills that have increased fivefold. With the increase in gasoline, there is no more car,” he pointed out and stressed that the turnover has fallen by more than 60% compared to last year.

“All the bills are up. Beef, pork, beef are constantly rising in price. Problem with sunflower oil, we will also have a problem with poultry. Our traffic will be reduced because we will have to raise prices,” said another shopkeeper from catering area. “All customers look at the price list before entering the store. They are afraid to enter the store,” he added, asking for state support.

“People are talking about the increases,” said another shopkeeper who maintains a bakery while a large drop in turnover due to the increases is recorded by all stores in the area.

“We believe that if the state wants to help small and medium-sized enterprises, it should be less demanding,” said the president of the trade association, referring to the repayable advances when Alexis Tsipras asked him what would happen now that the government would ask for the aid to be reimbursed. during the pandemic.

He stressed, however, that traders are also asking for a reduction in VAT and more help from the state as a whole because, as he explained, many traders have absorbed the price increases and have not raised prices. “All wholesale prices have risen by at least 10-15%,” he said, explaining that this situation adds to the huge problems faced by the two years of the pandemic. “We did not have such financial problems in the memoranda either,” he stressed.

Mitsotaki fake subsidies to keep the notoriety intact – Instead of reducing the fuel tax, it gives a reward of 0.2 euros

After the end of his tour in the market of Kalamaria, Alexis Tsipras made the following statement to the representatives of the Press: “Greek society is experiencing a deep crisis. The jump in energy prices has triggered chain increases in all types of basic consumption. At the same time, income remains stable and declining, these are conditions of social crisis.

Unfortunately, the government and Mr. Mitsotakis are not able to deal with this ongoing dangerous phenomenon. Yesterday, Mr. Mitsotakis made a speech to the Greek people to talk about support measures. But these are measures that not even the citizen, the consumer is going to feel.

He said he wanted to be useful and not likeable. The truth is that where he wants to be liked, he is. In tax breaks on the rich, in the millions in the media, in the billions of direct assignments and closed tenders. There if he wants to be liked, he is liked.

But when he is going to support the consumer, the citizen, the household, the employee, the employee’s salary that has remained stable for years, then he does not know how to be liked. Then he remembers fiscal responsibility.

And he also lied, that supposedly this crisis came in the last 15 days which is the war. This crisis has been going on for months, he did not foresee it, he did not move to face it. On the contrary, with his choices, he has become a multiplier of this crisis.

Right now we are seeing the filthy profits, the skyrocketing profits of the energy producers remain intact. And in essence, fake subsidies are given, while the mechanism of notoriety remains intact. So instead of reducing the Excise Tax on fuel, which would allow 25 euros to fill the tank to each consumer, he gives 0.20 cents per liter.

Instead of reducing VAT on basic consumer goods and fuel – because here we have the following paradoxical phenomenon, with the increase of prices with VAT to 24% the state has more revenue by looting the wallets of citizens. So instead of reducing the EFK, it gives an antidote of 0.2 minutes. Instead of reducing VAT, he gives bonuses that do not even compare to what we gave at a time when there was no accuracy and we were in the memoranda and yet he characterized them as crumbs.

So the increase of the minimum wage to 800 euros, the reduction of the VAT, the reduction of VAT and the ceiling on electricity generation, on natural gas. The price ceiling for both the wholesale and the consumer are measures that can provide a way out of the crisis.

The government obviously does not choose these measures. But we will continue to fight, not to persuade Mr. Mitsotakis to adopt them. But to persuade him to resort to popular verdict. And to put our forces, with a new progressive social and political majority, to support the Greek people, to support the households, to support the workers.

“The country deserves a government of responsibility and not a government of excuse.”