BREAKING! — Only Hungarians to buy fuel at capped prices
Only Hungarian cars may buy fuel at government-capped prices from Friday, cars with foreign number plates will have to pay market prices, the prime minister’s chief of staff told a regular press briefing on Thursday.
Since Hungarian fuel prices are the lowest in Europe, fuel tourism around the border has grown so it is now threatening uninterrupted supply, Gergely Gulyás said.
“Foreign buyers are exploiting the fact that Hungary is able to maintain petrol prices at 480 forints [EUR 1.2, per litre], while they are at 700-900 forints elsewhere in Europe,”
he said. To prevent such “abuse”, only cars with Hungarian registration certificates will be allowed to buy petrol at 480 forint per litre in Hungary. Others will have to pay the market price, he said.
Read alsoPetrol tourism is at its peak in Hungary!
Source: MTI
@Norbet, looks like the governmentde idea to implement the rule anyways. Haha. Although, it may not be illegal=against EU rules if the cars must be Hungarian registered to receive the fuel exempt. It wouldn’t be discriminating against nationalities if a Slovak for example has a car registered in Hungary.
It’s not illegal. Discrimination within an EU member state on the basis of nationality is of course illegal, but there is nothing to stop a government restriting certain advantages/benefits on bases like this one (ie, the vehicle must be registered in the country in question). Greece, for example, restricts the use of motorway tags to Greek registered cars.
Foreign buyers of cheap gas are hypocrites. They elect government that support high gas prices yet they are willing t travel to countries that provide cheaper gas to its citizens.
@mariavontheresa – you don’t believe in free market, right? If someone distorts (e.g. Hungary) – people WILL take advantage. Assume you think foreign corporations coming to Hungary for the 9 percent corporate tax rate (vigorously defended by our Politicians), State Aid (EU funded) and low wages (wonder who contributes to keeping wages benign) are also hypocrites?
Norbert, the foreign corporations you mention are just like the diesel tourists. They did go to Hungary for the cheaper labor and tax incentives, but they also take their profits out of Hungary. There is no truly free market anywhere in the world, just people and companies trying to get the best deal while protecting their own interests.