Fuel prices continue to be present today and, at a time when there are successive increases, the government decided to move forward with a measure that could open up space for further adjustments in the amount paid by consumers.
According to the , a temporary change in the Tax on Petroleum Products regime was approved, in an attempt to prolong tax relief and mitigate the impact of fluctuations in international markets.
According to the same source, this decision comes in a context of increasing pressure on gasoline and diesel prices, driven by external factors and geopolitical instability.
Amendment allows tax to be reduced up to the European limit
The new proposal approved by the Council of Ministers allows the ISP to be reduced to the minimum value defined by European rules, creating room to apply new discounts if necessary.
The Minister of the Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, explained that the objective is to guarantee legal conditions to continue adjusting the tax, especially at a time when prices have increased.
According to the official, the country was already close to the limit defined by national legislation, but there is still additional margin within European standards, which justified the change now approved.
At the same time, Finance is evaluating concrete values in order to ensure that discounts can be applied without exceeding limits defined at European level.
Discounts depend on price developments
The ISP reduction mechanism is linked to the weekly evolution of fuel prices, and the government regularly assesses the need to apply new discounts.
Whenever prices rise above a certain threshold, currently set at around 10 cents per liter, an adjustment in the tax may be triggered, allowing part of the increase to be offset.
Therefore, although there is no fixed reduction value, the system allows some flexibility, adapting to market developments.
Recent rises put pressure on decision
In recent days, fuel prices have risen again, after a brief drop in the previous week, reflecting the volatility of international markets.
Since the beginning of March, the price of 95 gasoline has increased by around 20 cents per liter, while regular diesel has seen an increase of approximately 44 cents, according to data from the Energy Services Regulatory Authority.
More recently, forecasts point to further increases, with diesel rising about nine cents per liter and gasoline about four cents, according to the National Fuel Dealers Association.
This scenario is related to tension in the Middle East, namely the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and instability in the oil markets.
Current discounts are already in effect
Despite the increases, ISP discounts, defined by ordinance, continue to be in force, which allow the impact on final prices to be mitigated.
Currently, the discount is 8.34 cents per liter on diesel and 4.58 cents per liter on gasoline, values that already include the effect of ICMS.
These discounts result from the return of additional VAT revenue generated by increased prices, allowing the cost for consumers to be reduced.
Measure is temporary and depends on the market
The change in the ISP regime is temporary and will be applied according to the evolution of fuel prices, with no guarantee that discounts will be maintained in the long term.
Even so, the measure allows the Government to react with greater flexibility, adjusting the tax whenever market conditions justify it.
In the end, and although it does not represent a guaranteed immediate drop, this change creates scope for new discounts in the coming weeks, depending on the evolution of international prices, according to Notícias ao Minuto.
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