The government should refrain from increasing excise duty on petrol because unfair competition is arising across the border in Belgium and Germany, where petrol is currently much cheaper, said Jacco Vonhof, the chair of the Dutch small and mid-sized business association, MKB-Nederland. "From Amersfoort, it is cheaper to drive to Germany for your petrol and some groceries," he said on the radio program Sven op 1.
If the outgoing Cabinet allows fuel prices to rise again in January, it would be "catastrophic" for Dutch gas station owners in the border region, as well as for retailers and supermarkets. Ewout Klok, chairman of the Interest Group for Petrol Stations (BETA), warns of this.
The price at the pump will jump up in the Netherlands on Saturday, when the government officially begins to phase back in the excise duty on petrol and diesel. Petrol prices will rise by about 14 cents per liter, while diesel prices will increase by 10 cents per liter.
The owners of filling stations in the Netherlands are expecting large crowds of customers during the last days of June. That will be the last chance for drivers to refuel at the current rates, before the excise tax on petrol and diesel goes back up on July 1.