Why Gasoline Prices Are Not Falling Like They Should – Economy

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Michael Bauchmüller, Thomas Fromm and Christina Kunkel

Every story has a beginning, which begins Tuesday night at midnight. These are the hours when the reduction in energy tax is intended to ensure that drivers pay noticeably less for petrol and diesel. On this night, which is supposed to be a night of relief for millions of motorists, a red VW Beetle rolls towards the gas station on Berlin’s Barnackufer. It’s five minutes to twelve, a young woman gets out and hurriedly pours Super E10, a liter for 2.13 euros. A tax cut, in exactly five minutes? Don’t care. She comes home from work, the dogs are waiting at home. “The few cents?” she says. “It’s all bogus anyway.” Then she disappears to the gas station attendant. On this night, this is a 27-year-old college dropout, formerly Philology, Ancient Greek. Now, he says, he’s doing social studies at the gas station, which is particularly interesting at night. One could even say: This night from May 31st to June 1st is ideally suited for such studies. When will there ever be a government-decreed reduction in the tax burden, including VAT, on fuels by around 35 cents per liter for premium petrol and 17 cents per liter for diesel?

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