ガソリン補助金、９月末終了　６月から段階的に縮小―経産省

　経済産業省は２６日、ガソリン小売価格の急騰を抑制するため石油元売り会社などに支給している補助金を９月末でいったん終了すると発表した。ロシアのウクライナ侵攻で高騰に拍車が掛かっていた原油価格は、世界経済の減速による需要の減退で補助金導入前の水準におおむね戻っているため、６月から補助率を段階的に引き下げていく。
　今年９月末までに累計６．２兆円の予算を投じる補助金事業は、出口に向かう。ただ、再び原油価格が高騰すれば、１０月以降も新たな予算措置を講じて継続する可能性もある。（2023/05/26-19:43）

Japan's industry ministry said Friday it will end at the end of September a program to provide subsidies to oil distributors to curb sharp rises in pump prices.
   Crude oil prices, which soared in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have largely returned to levels before the introduction of the program, reflecting a decline in demand caused by the global economic slowdown.
   The ministry plans to gradually cut the subsidies from June and put an end to the current 6.2-trillion-yen program, which covers not only gasoline but diesel fuel, heating oil, heavy oil and aircraft fuel, on Sept. 30.
   But if crude oil prices spike again by the deadline, the ministry may seek a fresh budget allocation to continue to provide the subsidies, people familiar with the matter said.
   Starting out as a temporary measure in January 2022, the program was initially supposed to run until the end of March. But the government extended the program and increased the assistance amount.