Speaking of gas prices, why so high overseas? (Foreign members post please)

[skip68]

I know we complain constantly about gas prices and then our brothers from other countries chime in and say it's $8-$9 a gallon over there.   Here's the question, how much taxes are you foreign guys paying per gallon/liter?    The price of oil is global I thought?     The only thing I can think of is your governments slamming hefty taxes on you guys.   

[kab69440]

Tax burdens aside, it's mostly because they don't refine oil overseas. They buy distillate products.

[Fred]

We have refineries here (several in Victoria) and our exchange rate is beyond excellent and has been ever since the global down turn and still we're paying way to much thanks to our greedy government and opec.

[JB400]

We have refineries here (several in Victoria) and our exchange rate is beyond excellent and has been ever since the global down turn and still we're paying way to much thanks to our greedy government and opec.

I would be willing to send you our president if you like.  Everybody loves this guy.

[Fred]

Well thankyou but I'm very much in love with ours.............

[Bob T]

Its $2.19/L which makes it $8.30/US gallon here in New Zealand, only higher I've seen is Finland and maybe Great Britain. We only have 2 small offshore platforms and a few land based, generally distallate which is refined overseas I believe

The excise tax we pay is robbery, nothing less

Copied off the Automobile Assn website
Petrol tax
When you last bought petrol, 61.129 cents per litre was collected by the government as fuel excise (excluding GST). Motorists are charged GST on the petrol excise, which amounts to a tax on a tax. The AA has called for the GST to be removed - a move that would reduce prices by 8 cents per litre and help relieve the financial burden on New Zealanders.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fuel excise
The fuel excise portion includes:

50.524 cents - National Land Transport Fund
9.90 cents - ACC Motor Vehicle Account
0.66 cents - Local Authorities Fuel Tax
0.045 cents - Petroleum or Engine Fuels Monitoring Levy
In addition, GST is collected on the overall price of fuel including excise. The GST on excise amounts to a 8 cents per litre "tax on taxes".

There are no taxes on diesel other than GST. Instead, diesel vehicles pay Road User Charges. All fuels also pay an Emissions Trading Scheme charge (approximately 1-2 cents per litre).

It is now government policy for all of the petrol excise tax motorists pay to be directed to the National Land Transport Fund for investment back into New Zealand's road and transport system. The AA lobbied hard on behalf of motorists for many years to have all the taxes devoted to road building and maintenance, road safety education and enforcement, and subsidies for public transport.

Previously, about 19 cents per litre of the tax motorists paid on petrol was diverted by the government to non-road and transport related projects.

AA speaking

[Mike DC]

   
It's not that gas is so high everywhere else, it's that gas is artificially low in the USA. 

The US govt's role in affecting oil prices is complicated, but the bottom line is the govt indirectly subsidizes it at the same time they are taxing it.   We also don't add enough taxes to account for the indirect costs to society that gasoline incurs, which amounts to another type of subsidy. 

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, I fill my tank with US$1.5, on official money exchange rate. If we talk about unoficial moneyexchange, I can fill it with maybe US$.6

all 19 gals ( around 78 liters )

that's the only thing cheap we have down here... DIRTY CHEAP

[skip68]

Nacho, did you say you fill your tank for $1.50 ?   

[JB400]

Nacho, did you say you fill your tank for $1.50 ?  

That's what you get for having the government control the oil fields.

[Ghoste]

Oh?  It isn't because Chavez makes petroleum products available cheap for the people who live there?

[JB400]

Sorry, I confused myself. I was thinking of Brazil.  Your right.  I'm sure  the middle east is the same way.  Funny thing is, we ship them food, and this is the thanks we get.

[Nacho-RT74]

Nacho, did you say you fill your tank for $1.50 ?   

yes.

and is not for Chavez, has been historically like that. Goverment has subsidized the gas since ever

about Chavez, I don't want to talk. I'm depressed... he "won" again the elections

[Tilar]

about Chavez, I don't want to talk. I'm depressed... he "won" again the elections

Imagine that. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken him out. He's an avid obama supporter but for some reason that doesn't make the people here think about their decision to support him.

[Mike DC]

Reagan also kept Saddam Hussein in power.  


International politics makes for strange bedfellows.

[moparstuart]

ok, I fill my tank with US$1.5, on official money exchange rate. If we talk about unoficial moneyexchange, I can fill it with maybe US$.6

all 19 gals ( around 78 liters )

that's the only thing cheap we have down here... DIRTY CHEAP

that would be so awesome

[Nacho-RT74]

what can I say ?

Preffer to pay US$4 by gal and get life quality instead.

life quality would give me to pay that gas price AND MANY MORE STUFF

[moparstuart]

what can I say ?

Preffer to pay US$4 by gal and get life quality instead.

life quality would give me to pay that gas price AND MANY MORE STUFF

yes  quality of life   

[Tilar]

Reagan also kept Saddam Hussein in power.  


International politics makes for strange bedfellows.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[Marck]

We're paying right around 9$ per gallon in Denmark at the time.. Highest ever.. 
The wierd part is that we have several oil fields in the North Sea, and technically we produce more oil than we need.. It's the taxes that jack the price up so high.. ( To really mess with things we have a 180% tax on cars, so cars are crazy expensive here, for instance, my wifes Toyota Aygo retails for just over 19.000$ here.. ) That's why my wifes Toyota does more than 50 mpg, my Peugeot only does around 25 mpg.. Combined we spend more than 700$ on gas a month just for driving to and from work.. We both have to travel about 55 miles five days a week..
We've talked about finding employment closer to home, but we are both really happy where we are now, and we'd probably have to take a pay cut if we find other jobs, so for now we're staying where we are.. 

[moparstuart]

We're paying right around 9$ per gallon in Denmark at the time.. Highest ever.. 
The wierd part is that we have several oil fields in the North Sea, and technically we produce more oil than we need.. It's the taxes that jack the price up so high.. ( To really mess with things we have a 180% tax on cars, so cars are crazy expensive here, for instance, my wifes Toyota Aygo retails for just over 19.000$ here.. ) That's why my wifes Toyota does more than 50 mpg, my Peugeot only does around 25 mpg.. Combined we spend more than 700$ on gas a month just for driving to and from work.. We both have to travel about 55 miles five days a week..
We've talked about finding employment closer to home, but we are both really happy where we are now, and we'd probably have to take a pay cut if we find other jobs, so for now we're staying where we are.. 

DUDE

[Mike DC]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Saddam wasn't an "enemy" yet.  He would have permanently remained on the good list if he had kept playing ball with us.  (Just look at Saudi Arabia's ruling family.)


That's my point about these situations.  Lofty principles & ideologies usually matter a lot less than practicalities.  Be it Obama, Chavez, Reagan, Hussein, Saudis, or anyone else.

[Tilar]

You're right he wasn't an enemy as such, but he was easily handled at that point which made it more sense to keep him where he was. It wasn't that he was a great or even good leader. But I imagine knowing the nature of the people over there they all become enemies sooner or later.

[LaOtto70Charger]

Or over here?  Ask Noriega (spelling?) how working with North worked out for him.  I think he is still in a Florida prison.