Singapore Budget 2015: Rise in petrol duty but drivers will enjoy road tax rebates

SINGAPORE - From today, drivers will have to pay more for petrol as the Government announced an increase in petrol duty rates. There is a reprieve, however, as there will be a one-year road tax rebate.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in his Budget speech on Monday that the rise in petrol duties is meant to encourage less car usage and reduce carbon emissions. Petrol duty rates have remained unchanged since 2003.

The duty for premium grade petrol will be raised by 20 cents per litre to 64 cents per litre, while that of intermediate grade petrol will be increased by 15 cents per litre to 56 cents per litre.

"With falling oil prices, pump prices after the petrol duty changes would remain lower than the levels seen in the last two and a half years. These changes will take effect today, and yield about $177 million a year," Mr Tharman said.

But he also had some good news for drivers: a one-year road tax rebate of 20 per cent for cars, 60 per cent for motorcycles and 100 per cent for the small number of commercial vehicles using petrol.

The road tax rebate will offset about two-thirds of the impact of the petrol duty change on intermediate grade petrol for a typical car. The one-year road tax rebate will cost the Government $144 million.

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