Ramsay MacDonald, retail director, Certas Energy, has urged the Government to maintain its freeze on fuel duty at 57.95ppl in the forthcoming Summer Budget.

“Our industry already suffers from tax on tax and with fuel volumes slowly returning after a difficult few years, it would be a disaster, especially for many rural sites who already struggle to make ends meet, if the Chancellor were to see fuel duty as a short-term revenue booster.

“Ideally we would want to see fuel duty cut, reducing prices and stimulating growth, but we recognise that a long-term commitment to maintain the current freeze is more realistic. Anything that the Government can do to prevent pump prices rising is a benefit to all consumers.”

In addition, MacDonald also asked Government to review the current method for determining the business rate value of forecourt shops; currently valued on shop turnover rather than sales area.

“It cannot be right that a Sainsbury Local or Tesco Express of a comparable size can pay half of the rates of a forecourt. The system is anti-competitive; all we ask for is a level playing field.”