(Finance) – After the words of the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Ursuswhich at the end of August had made it known that the government was considering the possibility of introducing a bonuses gas of 150 euros for the lowest incomes in the event that fuel costs breached the 2 euro threshold and remained at those levels, the hypothesis becomes increasingly concrete also due to the cut in crude oil production decided by the countries of OPEC a few days ago.
“Measures to address the increase in fuel due to changed international conditions will be partially prepared in the coming period cabinet, with two initiatives aimed at the less well-off classes and the freight road transport sector, also to avoid fueling the inflationary spiral. In the maneuver we will do the rest”, the minister reiterated a few days ago in an interview with La Repubblica.
The measure, explained the Minister, would provide for a direct payment with a social card reserved for the weakest groups (with an ISEE threshold set at 25 thousand euros) who are most affected by expensive fuel and should be usable for any type of diet: diesel, petrol, LPG, methane and electric recharges. The bonus could then also be replicated at December. There bonus management it would therefore always be entrusted to INPS, Municipalities and Poste Italiane for the distribution of the cards.
According to the latest press rumors, the Government is therefore preparing an urgent law decree to provide immediate help. The bonus would therefore not be part of the Budget Law but of a government decree that could arrive within a few weeks.
However, the issue remains resources, given that as is now known the government has little room for maneuver and the preparation of the 2024 budget law also promises to be difficult with many needs to satisfy. For the new petrol card the estimated cost would be approximately 2 billion euros which could come fromextra VAT revenue recorded thanks to the good economic results of recent months. The Government has instead ruled out any cut in excise duties given that such a measure would cost much more, at least 13 billion, as well as benefiting even the wealthier classes who do not need aid.