Chiara Nava The countdown has begun. The extended diesel excise tax cut expires on September 5th , and without further action, fuel prices could rise again. The government must therefore quickly decide how to address the potential new increase, while Palazzo Chigi has already issued a clear statement: no more general discounts at the pump.
The proposed approach is selective measures , targeting the categories and families most exposed to fuel costs. One of the most popular options is linking the subsidies to the ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator ), but this proposal hasn't convinced Matteo Salvini, who is calling for a review of the system used to determine who is eligible for the benefits.
Fuel discount: Salvini calls for help for self-employed workers and businesses.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport has requested that any new measures not be aimed exclusively at employees. Salvini has requested that truck drivers, farmers, fishermen, and sales agents also be included in the protections.
According to the League leader, it would be a mistake to limit the benefits to just one category of workers, leaving out the self-employed and VAT holders.
The key will therefore be to identify criteria that can focus resources on the people and businesses most impacted by rising fuel prices. The September 5th deadline represents a decisive step in this regard. If no further extension or alternative measure is forthcoming, the removal of the excise duty cut could translate into higher diesel prices.
Salvini slams ISEE: "They always go to the same people."
The fuel issue is thus intertwined with that of the ISEE , the instrument used to assess families' economic situation to determine access to numerous subsidized benefits. Salvini has announced his intention to bring the issue up in the debate on the next budget law. " Rethinking the ISEE excludes a large portion of the population from any subsidy; they always go to the same people, and they're rarely Italian ," he stated, adding that he hopes the ISEE parameter won't be used exclusively for the future fuel discount.
The Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator takes into account the income of family members, movable assets, and the composition of the household. This latter element also takes into account, through an equivalence scale, the number of family members, the presence of children, and persons with disabilities. The ISEE is used to determine access to numerous subsidized social benefits, including a single allowance, a nursery bonus, discounts on school meals and fees, and social bonuses on utility bills . The discussion on the new fuel intervention is therefore intertwined with a much broader issue: on the one hand, the need to limit the impact of the high cost of diesel, and on the other, the need to establish fair criteria for distributing any aid. The government will have to find a solution before the September 5th deadline.