A FUEL duty freeze included within the government鈥檚 newly-unveiled budget has been welcomed by a local distributor.
ATF Fuels director Jonathan Best said he was 鈥減leased鈥 that the government had announced a freeze on fuel duty for 2025, should its financial plans be approved by the States Assembly.
The government has cited a need to 鈥渟upport Islanders with the ongoing challenges of the cost of living鈥 as part of its rationale for the move, which follows a freeze on road-fuel duties in 2023 and 2024.
Mr Best, who made headlines in 2022 when he launched a petition calling for reductions in fuel duty, described the proposal as 鈥渨elcome news鈥.
He continued: 鈥淲hen you look at other jurisdictions where there have been duty freezes for a long time, it鈥檚 definitely a lever that government can pull which helps.鈥
Acknowledging annual freezes introduced under the previous government, Mr Best said that he was pleased to see 鈥渁 level of consistency鈥 from the Island鈥檚 politicians.
鈥淭here is a period of time to let things settle down,鈥 he added, noting that fuel was a 鈥渧olatile鈥 market.
Ministers are also proposing to freeze alcohol duty in 2025, in what would be the fifth year it has been either frozen or held below inflation.
Dominic Jones of JP Restaurants said this was 鈥減ositive鈥.
However, he pointed out that there many other factors 鈥 such as the impact of the cost of living on Islanders鈥 spending ability 鈥 affecting the hospitality sector.
鈥淚nflationary cost increases are getting easier to manage but revenues still need to pick up,鈥 he added, describing the industry as a 鈥渟hadow of its former self鈥.
