Gentville: We are going to tax fossil fuels significantly

S. Gentvilas, who told reporters about this on Wednesday, also said the amendments will be adopted at the fall session of the Seimas.

“Starting in 2023, we intend to significantly tax fossil fuels. We have the support of the Lithuanian Business and Industrial Confederation, but on two conditions. These are fair subsidies and a tax on coal imports.

The European Commission is also debating this. Basically, if concrete, fertilizers, cement, glass are imported into Lithuania, the same ton produced in Belarus burns several times more CO2 than in Akmenė, Panevėžio stikle, Lifosa or elsewhere.

We tax our producers, we raise taxes, and their products become so expensive that basically Belarusian or Asian products become cheaper, they are imported, and factories in Lithuania close. To prevent this from happening, Europe has said it will increase excise duties, but imported products will have to pay environmental pollution taxes. This should also happen from 2023, “he said.

The minister said that in autumn, together with the Finance Ministry, he will introduce a bill on excise duties, which will tax everything from coal to diesel and other fossil fuel elements.

“We are increasing excise duties, getting closer to the European Union average and creating a horizontal CO2 component, which has been applied in Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Sweden since 1991,” said S. Gentvilas.

He explained that he wanted to promote the supply of electricity and renewable resources within Lithuania.

“Lithuania 2.5 billion annually. We transfer one billion euros for gas, oil, fuel and electricity bought from foreign companies and citizens, which would not produce. 400 million euros are for electricity.

One way is to correctly estimate imported fossil fuels. In one pocket it will increase resources, in another it will create jobs in Lithuania. It is estimated that an average of one megawatt of electricity creates about 5 jobs. Tauragė, Pagėgiai are waiting and waiting for those hundreds of millions of wind energy projects. They will not start until we import electricity produced from coal or nuclear power from the East or elsewhere, “said S. Gentvilas.

In total, the Ministry of the Environment presents 13 bills to the Seimas in the autumn session.

“There are blocks of waste management and water management, tax reform, which includes a car tax. There will also be minor changes: the emergence of autonomous inspectors, the handover of part of the Construction Inspection functions, and various reductions in administrative burdens, such as afforestation, etc. ”- introduced the Minister on Wednesday.