Prime Minister Orpo vows to exhaust all options to curb fuel price surge

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo used a Facebook post to explain that the sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices is linked to developments in the Middle East, a fact that offers little comfort to Finns. He asserted that easy, immediate solutions are unlikely to appear at the pump and that he will employ every available instrument, seeking new ones if necessary. The government is examining a range of options such as altering the fuel distribution obligation, cutting the fuel value-added tax, advancing work-travel deductions and accelerating professional diesel allowances, as well as possible subsidies for transport and agriculture.

Opposition parties, notably Perussuomalaiset, Kristillisdemokraatit and RKP, are also urging reductions in the distribution duty and VAT. A source indicated no concrete timetable for an agreement, and the debate is expected to intensify ahead of an upcoming parliamentary questioning session.