In the event of a new state tax, the CEO of TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanné threatened this Friday, October 6 to stop capping a liter of fuel at 1.99 euros.
Real threat or simple bluff? TotalEnergies could stop capping a liter of fuel at 1.99 euros in the event of a new state tax, its CEO Patrick Pouyanné threatened this Friday.
The CEO of the oil group reportedly told journalists during a trip to Lyon “if the State also wants to put taxes on refining, I don’t know if we will extend it.”
A measure maintained “as long as we can”
Patrick Pouyanné also added that the “current debate seems a little strange to me. I think it is an effective measure and therefore we will maintain it for as long as we can. If the State adds taxes to us, we will reconsider the measure. I am convinced that the right method is for Total to directly benefit the consumer from the efforts we are making rather than through taxes,” he specified.
“I sell with a fixed price at 1.99 euros. I can tell you that on a certain number of sales I don’t make any money,” he continued. Asked about a possible reduction in taxes or VAT on gasoline, Patrick Pouyanné replied: “I don’t know if this is the solution but I advocate, I am convinced, that the option of a floating TIPP where “blocking taxes based on price is the right thing… because at 2 euros, the French start to shout very loudly.”
As a reminder, the oil group TotalEnergies, which manages a third of the service stations in France, announced on September 12 that it would extend the cap to 1.99 euros per liter on the price of gasoline and diesel next year. in its 3,400 stations, “as long as prices remain high”.
An amendment to the finance bill for 2023, tabled by several majority deputies including the general rapporteur for the Budget Jean-René Cazeneuve, proposed to renew for one year the solidarity contribution on the profits of oil groups. They motivated their amendment by the “prolonged nature of inflation in energy prices”.