GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster has hit out at government policy that has caused a serious downturn in the German car market.
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Forster said that the steeply rising cost of motoring and the lack of clarity regarding future taxation could have serious consequences for the German motor industry and thousands of jobs, according to Bild newspaper.
Forster called on politicians to deal with the problem and at least reduce fuel taxes. He criticised on-going debates surrounding speed limits, taxation and city centre car bans for discouraging consumers from buying cars. He called for a speedy decision regarding the structure of future CO2-based annual car taxes, saying that every day of waiting for a decision is curtailing sales.
Finally, Forster criticised oil companies for ‘unclear price policies’. “They must end the fuel price chaos. Ever-changing differences between super-gasoline and diesel are irritating, as is the lack of clarity over how long normal gasoline will be available for. That is leading unnecessarily to people holding back from buying new cars and must be sorted out.”
