new fuel tax & tollgates

[tokyokid]

Anybody has details on the new fuel tax? I heard they want to make the system like it is in Hainan province, where you need to pay higher fuel price but dont need to pay for highway or expressway use. Since there are no tollgates on Hainans expressway you can use them as long as your faster than the police
Any information if they will remove the tollgates in the rest of China?

[MaRX8nka]

in Chengdu they are rumouring about higher gas price to compensate the "Road maintenance fee" kinda tax...

[ChinaV]

The gas tax is supposed to get rid of the toll booths, however, major tollways are privately owned, so we still get to pay for those along with some other bridges and special tour roads. With oil at $43.50 a barrel, it looks like the government highway fund and the oil companies should do quite well.

I liked dodging the toll booths, now what do I do? Drive a hybrid to cheat the man

Cheers!
ChinaV

[chinabiker]

From Chinadaily.

China unveiled its long-awaited plan on fuel tax reform on Friday, hiking the fixed amount of money levied on oil consumption, while phasing out some fees levied on drivers.
The tax on each liter of gasoline will rise from 0.2 yuan to 1 yuan, while that for diesel will jump from 0.1 yuan to 0.8 yuan starting from January 1, 2009, according to a statement jointly issued by four ministries. They are the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transportation and State Administration of Taxation.


Despite the tax hike, Chinese motorists do not have to pay more for fuel, according to the statement. Analysts said that may mean an actual cut on retail fuel prices before enacting the tax increase. Global crude oil prices have fallen more than 70 percent since peaking in July. But Chinese drivers have not enjoyed the benefits of cheaper oil, as the government-set prices are yet to be reduced.
Related readings:
Retail fuel tax may start from January
China may kick in fuel tax, oil pricing reforms in Jan
Fuel tax unlikely to hike inflation
NDRC: Fuel tax scheme to be made public soon
Views on proposed fuel tax sought
The announced plan put an end to wild guessing games, including speculations that oil consumers will have to pay a fixed percentage of the fuel price as consumption tax. The rumored tax rate ranged from 20 percent to 50 percent, prompting fears among private car-owners that their spending power will be eroded.
As other nations are racing to stimulate spending amid a major global economic slowdown, Chinese policy-makers do not want to add burdens on consumers, as they are working to boost domestic consumption to help cushion an economic downturn.
Coupled with the tax hike, six types of fees on road and waterway maintenance will be canceled, while tolls on second-class roads built by the government on loans will be phased out, the statement said.
As a remedy, the increased fuel tax revenue will be used to cover expenditure on road and waterway maintenance and management, subsidize the losses of local governments due to the abolishment of road tolls and support farmers and disadvantaged people affected by the reform.
The reform was also part of the government's efforts to reduce the green house effect and cut down the country's energy intensity. The plan "is aimed at facilitating energy saving and emission cut as well as the economic structural adjustment," the four ministries said in the statement.
In a major reform of the country's oil-pricing mechanism, the statement said the State will set a ceiling on the fuel price. Currently, the NDRC determined a benchmark price, allowing refiners to charge buyers 8 percent more or less.

The four ministries are soliciting public opinions on the plan before December 12.

[CrazyCarl]

Just curious, what are the current gas prices where you are respectively?

CC

[chinabiker]

Beijing 2008-12-08

93# - 6.38
97# - 6.78
98# - 7.38

Don't know the price for Diesel and 90#, since those are rarely seen downtown.

[Brice]

Paid the #93 between 6.05 to 6.20 in Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi.
#90 was a little cheaper.

In GuangDong few petrol stations were out of stock specially diesel but it seems to be a deliberate movement to force the gov to allow a price increase.