Stephan Mangnus, managing director Sakko Group: ‘Prolong excise duty rebate’
The planned excise duty increase on petrol and diesel that was to take effect from 1 January 2026 is off the table. There has been a postponement, but not a cancellation. The petrol station industry is calling for a structural solution. Stephan Mangnus, general manager of the Sakko Group, argues for realism and a fair playing field for all parties.
The planned excise duty increase on petrol and diesel from 1 January 2026 has again been postponed. So for now, fuel prices will remain stable, but it will cost the Dutch treasury €1.5 billion. Where that money is to come from is still unclear. Minister Eelco Heinen earlier indicated that he “does not have the amount lying around”. According to energy researcher Daan Hulshof, there is no longer any reason to maintain the rebate because the original reason for the excise rebate, the extremely high fuel prices in 2022, would have disappeared by now. According to him, market prices have returned to normal levels. Thereby, lower excise duty keeps fossil use attractive. So from a sustainability perspective, it would make sense to phase out the discount.
Balance and interests
Yet not everyone agrees. Especially within the fuel and mobility sector, there are calls for more realism. Stephan Mangnus, general manager of the Sakko Group, argues for the long-term extension of the discount. “Just to put it in our personal EV-related perspective and give a glimpse into our kitchen: the Sakko Group is fully committed to the transition to EVs,” he says. “We are doing that with Orange Charging, among others, and we now have an operating network of over five thousand charging points. We are also proud of that. This rollout is funded by our traditional fuel business, which is our ‘cork’. As a result of the current excise differences, the price differences on fuels compared to Belgium and Germany are substantial. If the excise duty change were to be implemented, that difference for next year runs to above 60 cents per litre! I think every market will then start thinking anyway where that reasonable ‘level playing field’ has gone, which is unrelated to the transition to EVs,” said Mangnus, according to whom the industry has started investing a lot in the EV segment in recent years. “The transition is clearly noticeable with annual volume declines in petrol and diesel of around five per cent. This trend is irreversible and we are betting heavily on it with a large number of participations. But let’s keep this manageable and fair for all parties!”
Diesel remains necessary
In addition to EV developments, diesel will remain very important for the time being, especially for transport. ADR safety advisor Erik Boots stresses that the majority of freight traffic still relies on diesel. Scrapping the excise duty rebate would hit the sector extra hard, with indirect consequences for the entire logistics chain. Consultant Rully Riksen calls Dutch excise taxes already excessive and warns that further increases risk making work less attractive. What seems sustainable on paper may, in practice, prove harmful to both the economy and the labour market.
Sustainability with reason
According to entrepreneur Michel Coltof, the Dutch power grid is far from ready for a large-scale switch to electric transport. He therefore advocates smart choices, such as reducing excise duties on cleaner fuels like HVO. In this way, sustainability can go hand in hand with economic viability. “I support sustainability,” he says, “but things must remain feasible and affordable.” Without realistic policies, he says, a scenario is looming in which small companies collapse and only big players remain. The call for delaying the excise duty increase thus reflects more than just financial interests: it is also a plea for pace, balance and equal opportunities within the energy transition.
