People in Hanoi queue to top up their bikes at a gas station in October. (Photo: VNA)The plan, if accepted, will see environmental fuel tax for gasoline stay at 1,000VND per litre, jet fuel at 3,000 VND, diesel at 500 VND, mazut at 300 VND andkerosene at 300 VND for an entire year.
This is a U-turn from the ministry's previous proposal, which included fourdifferent levels of fuel tax, depending on price developments in the global oilmarket.
Explaining their position, the ministry said global oil prices likely will stayhigh throughout the coming year, hovering around 95-105 USD per barrel, afterconsultations with the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Barring an unexpected and significant drop in global oil prices, high fuelprices will likely hurt the economy given the massive demand for fuelpost-pandemic. Vietnam’s economy, which has been trying to recover fromCOVID-19, was forecast to require north of 14.5 million cubic metres of fuel in2023, a 10 per cent increase from 2022.
Rising environmental fuel tax, or even rumours of it, will likely result infuel hikes. With the Lunar New Year holidays just around the corner, it's thegovernment's top priority to stabilise the economy, assure manufacturers andconsumers and maintain favourable macroeconomic factors. This will also set thefoundation for the government's effort in keeping inflation in check next year.
The environmental fuel tax, set for the entire 2023, is to expire on January 1,2024, and to be reevaluated with developments in the global oil market in mind.
The ministry said the tax, applied to all users without discrimination, willprovide a much-needed boost to manufacturing, transport, consumption and, ingeneral, economic recovery.
In case oil prices returned to post-pandemic levels, the tax can be readjusted,even to its ceiling limit as before the pandemic.
During this year, fuel skyrocketed to a historic level high, at times to around30,000 VND per litre of gasoline due to rising global oil prices anddifficulties in managing supply for the domestic market. It has since come downto around 23,000 VND per litre after the Ministry of Finance and the Ministryof Industry and Trade, who are in charge of fuel prices, took a number ofmeasures to address said difficulties.
The ministry stressed such a change of policy, when becomes feasible, will bein line with the Vietnamese government's unchanged position to limit the use offossil-fuel and improve the country's environment standards and its commitmentsat the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to reduce net zeroemissions in the future./.
VNA
