Ulster Unionist Economy Spokesperson, Sandra Overend, has urged the government at Westminster to take action to alleviate the hardship on Northern Ireland consumers and businesses following an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report which shows that petrol and diesel prices are higher in Northern Ireland than the rest of the UK.
The Mid Ulster MLA said;
‘It is clear that consumers here are being placed at a distinct disadvantage due to the high price of fuel and I am calling on the Westminster government to look at giving exemptions on fuel duty to Northern Ireland in an attempt to alleviate the situation for already hard pressed consumers and businesses.’
‘I welcome this report from the OFT which confirms what many already knew; that the price of petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland is markedly higher than the rest of the UK. This report actually found that Northern Ireland was 0.5p per litre more for diesel and 0.8p a litre more for petrol.’
‘We must also take particular account of the fact that rural areas are suffering particularly badly because of an increased dependence on cars due to location. I know this only too well from my own constituency of Mid Ulster where I hear on a weekly basis from local businesses and local people who are finding it difficult to cope with fuel prices at their current level.”