Emanuele Di Matteo Paolo Uggè, president of the Italian Hauliers' Federation (FAI), intervenes in the debate opened by the statements of Leopoldo Destro, vice-president of Confindustria for Transport, Logistics and the Tourism Industry , published in the Sole 24 Ore.
At the heart of the discussion was the proposal to introduce a tax credit for clients and the issue of cost distribution along the freight transport chain.
"There's only one supply chain: we can't invoke shared responsibility and always pass the costs on to the same link," Uggè emphasizes.
Tax credits and state aid: FAI's concerns
The FAI president does not rule out the possibility of a tax credit, but disputes the idea that the measure would translate into a new burden on public finances.
" Tax credit for clients ? Why not! But it's clear that Destro's request can't translate into further public spending, while some clients are already asking their carriers for reductions in transport costs, based on existing tax breaks," he states.
Uggè also recalls the limits of European state aid , arguing that the measures concern the professional transport of goods by road and not own-account transport.
"Why, then, risk infringement proceedings by extending them to the client?" asks the president of the FAI.
Transport safety and costs: "The rules are non-negotiable."
The other point of the reply concerns safety. For Uggè, the cost comparison cannot call into question the regulations that regulate the sector and protect traffic.
"The minimum costs for social security and traffic are set out in Delegated Law No. 32/2005 and subsequent implementing decrees," recalls the FAI president.
Uggè reconstructs the process that led to the definition of these provisions: they were developed within the Transport and Logistics Committee between 2006 and 2008, with the participation of representatives of the client industry. The European Union permitted their introduction, entrusting their promulgation to the Ministry.
Anyone who fails to comply with these provisions violates the principle of shared responsibility and puts everyone's safety at risk. Safety rules are not up for discussion: they must be respected and, if necessary, strengthened.
Road transport , adds Uggè, remains essential for bringing goods to market. Ensuring safety and competitiveness therefore means protecting the entire production chain.
Diesel prices are high, and trucking companies are demanding compliance with agreements.
The response finally focuses on the effects of the measures adopted to address fuel prices . According to the FAI president, the interventions have not provided transport companies with sufficient additional resources to offset the rising diesel prices.
"For road haulage companies, there have been no interventions truly capable of offsetting the diesel price increases , but only measures that have restored conditions to those prior to the blanket interventions on pump prices . Essentially, the companies have not benefited from additional public resources , except to a minimal extent."
Then there's the issue of financial relations with clients. Some have acknowledged the increases in transport rates , but in several cases, Uggè reports, the carriers were subsequently asked to refund the amount paid.
"It's true that some clients have recognized increases, but in several cases they were subsequently asked to recover the increases granted ."
Uggè to Confindustria: "The supply chain must respect the rules."
The FAI president's conclusion is a direct reminder to Confindustria and the shared responsibility between industry and road haulage.
"If the production system and road haulage are part of the same supply chain, Confindustria must also support what the road haulage federations have long been calling for: compliance with the rules . This is where we need to start. The rules are non-negotiable: once established, they must be respected."