元売り補助、２５円超要請　原油高対策で自民―財源課題に

　自民党は１８日、原油価格高騰への対策を強化するための緊急提言をまとめ、政府に申し入れた。１リットル当たり５円を上限に石油元売り会社に支給する補助金について、２５円を超える支援を可能とするよう要請。ただ、補助金は年度末までに枯渇する可能性もあり、支援拡充には新たな財源確保が課題となる。
　提言は同日開かれた自民党の会合でまとめられ、萩生田光一経済産業相と松野博一官房長官に提出された。萩生田氏は記者団の取材に応じ、「いろいろな選択肢がある。柔軟に考えていきたい」と述べた。松野氏も記者会見で「与党と密接に連携し、具体策の検討を加速化したい」と語った。
　現在の補助金制度は１月下旬に開始したが、想定を超える原油価格の高騰により２週間で上限の５円に到達した。これに関し提言は、「（一時的にガソリン税を引き下げる）トリガー条項の２５円の減税措置をも超える支援が可能となるよう制度を見直し、延長を行うべきだ」と求めた。（2022/02/18-18:59）

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday compiled a proposal calling on the government to drastically expand its subsidy program for oil wholesalers, in order to beef up the country's measures to tackle soaring crude oil prices amid heightened tensions over Ukraine.
   In the emergency proposal, the LDP said that the subsidy program should be revised in a way that makes it possible for the government to provide such businesses with a form of assistance eclipsing the so-called trigger provision aimed at temporarily cutting gasoline taxes.
   Under the current subsidy program, if the nationwide average retail price of regular gasoline rises to 170 yen per liter or higher, oil wholesalers are paid up to 5 yen per liter to curb rising prices of gasoline and other fuel.
   The trigger provision, which allows the country to cut gasoline taxes when gasoline prices surge, is currently suspended. If resumed, the measure will give a tax reduction effect of around 25 yen per liter. The LDP in the proposal urged the government to discuss a measure that will be even more effective than the trigger provision.
   While the government activated the subsidy program only on Jan. 27, the amount of subsidy, set based on weekly gasoline and crude oil prices, reached its upper limit of 5 yen per liter in just two weeks from its activation due to escalating crude oil prices.