Deputy Lucy Stephenson has withdrawn her proposal to cut fuel duty by 10p per litre for three months following what she described as "constructive discussions" with Treasury Minister Alan Maclean.
Stephenson had lodged the motion in June asking the States Assembly to reduce the tax, currently around the 65p per litre mark, from 1 October to 31 December. She said the aim was to ease pressure on motorists facing rising household costs.
Explaining her decision to pull the proposition, Stephenson said talks with Maclean and colleagues had produced a "pragmatic way forward" to help islanders deal with financial issues. She added the conversations left her satisfied the matter was being taken seriously.
Stephenson, the deputy for St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter, cited global developments as a factor behind higher costs. She said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which limited traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, had exacerbated what she called "spiralling costs" for residents.
She also invoked voter concerns from the recent election, saying, "I think there were very clear messages at the recent election from voters about the cost of living. It's obvious people are struggling and we have heard that loud and clear." Those comments framed the urgency behind her original proposal.
The withdrawal does not close the issue. The government will lodge its budget later in September, with debate in the States scheduled for December. Any fiscal or support measures arising from the talks or the budget will be subject to that process.
The episode leaves consumers and transport businesses watching for whatever measures Jersey's treasury and assembly choose to adopt as part of the autumn budget. For now, the immediate route Stephenson had proposed to lower pump prices will not go forward, replaced by the alternative approach she says emerged from discussions with the Treasury Minister.
