THE CARBON tax for home heating oil comes into force today, leading to increases of 6 per cent for natural gas and 8.4 per cent in household fuel bills. From today, the levy will apply to kerosene, natural gas, marked gas oil, liquid petroleum gas and fuel oil.
The tax was criticised by business and farming groups yesterday on the grounds that it would increase costs, affect competitiveness and lead to job losses. Groups campaigning for elderly people also claimed that it would lead to fuel poverty.
Yesterday the group representing small and medium-sized business, Isme, warned that the new tax would undermine competitiveness and called on the Government to reverse the decision.
Isme chief executive Mark Fielding said there was no justification in a 6 per cent increase in gas costs. “The very idea of a carbon tax in the current environment is utter madness,” he said.
clipped from www.irishtimes.com
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