So, tomorrow the deputies will consider and immediately adopt in an urgent manner a bill to reduce the excise tax on diesel fuel and gasoline at the plenary session. The budget commission of the Saeima has so far rejected other measures, including the proposal to lower the VAT rate, as a reduction in excise tax alone may not yield the desired effect - the price of diesel fuel will not fall below 2 euros per liter anyway. Prime Minister Kuldbergs categorically opposed the reduction of VAT, explaining that Brussels prohibits "touching" VAT. "We cannot be hooligans who lower VAT whenever they want and then raise it again. Poland did the same in May, and then they were forced to cancel everything. Spain did too. You see, if we do this, then the next time we need to reach some agreement with Brussels about the budget, about funds, or something else, we will hear in response: ‘Since you are behaving this way, we will not accommodate you!’" said Prime Minister Kuldbergs. By the way, in Poland today, the price of diesel was around 1.9-2 euros per liter, while in Latvia it was 2.12-2.2 euros per liter! As for VAT, it is unlikely that Brussels will cause a scandal over a minor reduction in the VAT rate - for example, from 21% to 16-17%. But this would allow to "keep" the price of diesel at no more than 1.9 euros per liter. It cannot be ruled out that tomorrow the majority of deputies will decide to reduce VAT. After all, there are only 8 days left until the elections...
