Protests by truckers over Portugal’s sky-high fuel tax are to be discussed at a “mega-meeting” with government ministers next Wednesday (March 30). The meeting will centre on truck drivers’ insistence that Portugal reduce its ISP tax in line with Spain, where fuel prices are roughly 35 cents per litre cheaper. Truckers had threatened to start a go-slow to paralyse the country tomorrow but agreed to delay, pending the result of next week’s meeting with the ministers of finance, economy and environment as well as prime minister António Costa’s deputy Eduardo Cabrita.
As news sources have commented, the last go-slow by truck drivers, in 2008, “almost stopped the country. Supermarkets had empty shelves, fuel stations ran dry and police had to control the refueling of planes at airports”, writes Correio da Manhã.
