Paschalides hits back at Neophytou’s fuel stunt

THE COMMERCE Minister yesterday demonstrated that Cyprus’ fuel prices are reasonable in direct response to accusations from DISY’s deputy chief that they of the government were all wearing “rose-tinted glasses.”

Cyprus is the second cheapest country in unleaded 95 Octane petrol and seventh cheapest in diesel, Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides said.

He was quoting an April 18 report on fuel prices from the European Commission.

Paschalides’ move comes a day after DISY’s second-in-command, Averof Neophytou, invited the media to witness him filling up his SUV. It cost Neophytou €75 to fill up his vehicle with diesel. He bemoaned the fact that only ten years ago the same amount of fuel would have cost him only CY10 pounds (€17).

Neophytou accused the government of misleading the public by pretending that “nothing is expensive.” Paschalides response was swift yesterday. “No one at the Commerce Ministry ever said fuel prices in Cyprus are low,” he said, adding that with troubles in the Middle East, “petrol prices have really risen in the last few months.”

“Mr Neophytou knows well that as a result of relatively low taxes in Cyprus, fuel retail prices place us, after tax, as the second or third cheapest country in the EU bloc, according to the EU’s official statistics,” an indignant Paschalides said.

To illustrate his point Paschalides published a chart comparing the cost of filling up Neophytou’s “little jeep” with diesel elsewhere in the EU, and published a separate chart for unleaded Octane 95 petrol.

According to the figures if Neophytou had been in the UK he would have coughed up more than €93 for the same amount of diesel and he would have paid €84 in Italy and over €88 in Greece.

For cheaper diesel he would have had to fill up in Bulgaria or in Luxembourg where  a tank full would cost €69. The other EU countries were all in the region of €73-€88.

In terms of Octane 95 petrol, Cyprus was among the cheapest on the list at €72.43 for 58 litres compared with Denmark at €97 at the top end and €54 in Belgium, which was the cheapest.

 

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