French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said TotalEnergies SE must keep a promise on new fuel discounts for car drivers if prices continue to rise.
(Bloomberg) — French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said TotalEnergies SE must keep a promise on new fuel discounts for car drivers if prices continue to rise.
The energy giant’s chief executive officer, Patrick Pouyanne, has said the company could reintroduce rebates that it offered last year as bans on Russian fuel imports risk pushing up prices.
“He’s promised he would offer a rebate, and it’s best for everyone to keep their promises,” Le Maire said on RTL radio on Monday.
The French government also subsidized gasoline and diesel last year as part of huge spending to offset a surge in energy prices. It has since replaced those rebates with €100 ($106.88) payments to the 50% least well-off who need a vehicle to travel to work.
Le Maire said the government has decided to keep that income-dependent subsidy available until the end of March as only half of those eligible have so far applied. It was initially due to close at the end of February.
–With assistance from Francois de Beaupuy.
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