Diesel: nearly 700 petrol stations have raised their prices following the excise duty cut. A further 2,500 have kept their prices unchanged

Mister Prezzi has scrutinised the price boards at more than 20,000 Italian petrol stations. And the result, as of Wednesday afternoon – two days after the 17-cent-per-litre cut in excise duty – is that 684 petrol stations (3.4 per cent of the total) are charging a higher price than on Monday, whilst a further 2,484 (12.4 per cent) have remained unchanged, with no variation whatsoever.

These are the facilities that the Ministry of Enterprise’s Price Monitoring Authority, acting on a report from the owner, Adolfo Urso, has referred to the Guardia di Finanza for investigations to be launched.

The Data Protection Authority, acting on the instructions of Adolfo Urso, Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, has forwarded to the Guardia di Finanza a list of petrol stations ‘that have not yet adjusted their fuel prices at the pump in line with the excise duty cut ordered by the Government, highlighting the most significant anomalies detected’.

The Ministry explains that the referral “is made in accordance with the special control regime introduced by the decree-law approved in March by the Council of Ministers”. The findings of the Gdf’s investigations, accompanied by an analytical report, will be forwarded by the Data Protection Authority to the judicial authorities.

The reduction, decided by the Government two days ago, amounts to 17.08 cents per litre: 14 cents in excise duty plus 22 per cent VAT. Today, a litre of diesel costs an average of 2.074 euros, eleven cents less than the 2.185 euros recorded on Monday morning. On the motorway, the price remains higher, at €2.169 per litre. The trend in Brent crude prices is also a factor, having fallen to around $85 per barrel compared with Monday.