Greek Fuel Smuggling Costing €600 per year
The Finance Ministry in Greece have announced after a crisis meeting that fuel smuggling is adding up to around €600m a year.
Greece have already tried to face the issue of fuel smuggling by deciding to equate taxation on heating oil and diesel, but the problem still continues to be an issue and a drain on the economy. The government has previously been criticised by fuel retailers for being slow to take any action against smuggling, as well as customs and border crossings being inefficient.
Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras chaired the meeting, which considered the best ways in which to tackle the issue of fuel smuggling. The proposed solution that emerged from the meeting was to install a control system for the outflow of fuel from fuel station dispensers in the main cities where theft occurred such as Athens and Thessaloniki before April this year, with expansion plans to install this throughout Greece by March 2014.
Greece have already tried to face the issue of fuel smuggling by deciding to equate taxation on heating oil and diesel, but the problem still continues to be an issue and a drain on the economy. The government has previously been criticised by fuel retailers for being slow to take any action against smuggling, as well as customs and border crossings being inefficient.
Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras chaired the meeting, which considered the best ways in which to tackle the issue of fuel smuggling. The proposed solution that emerged from the meeting was to install a control system for the outflow of fuel from fuel station dispensers in the main cities where theft occurred such as Athens and Thessaloniki before April this year, with expansion plans to install this throughout Greece by March 2014.
