Fuels, Sicily holds the national negative record for prices

«In Sicily, filling up with fuel costs more than in the rest of Italy. A "blow" that brings the freight and passenger transport sector to its knees, already strained by international tensions and a legal matter entirely within the Island». This is stated in a note by the Cna Fita regional, speaking of a “perfect storm” caused by the combination of two factors: the surge in prices linked to the conflict in Iran and the ongoing standoff at the Isab refinery in Priolo. «The price increases following the onset of hostilities in Iran are immediate and unjustified - declare Giorgio Stracquadanio and Daniela Taranto, heads of Cna Fita Sicily - because the fuel currently dispensed uses stocks acquired before the escalation. To this is added a typically Sicilian distortion: the legal and financial dispute between Isab and Lukoil Italia regarding the management of the Priolo refinery, one of the largest plants in Europe that covers 80% of the island's needs and one third of the national needs. Temporary supply blockages and management uncertainties are generating an unjustified increase in pump prices, which in Sicily are higher than the national average».

A situation that, the confederation emphasizes, burdens the sector's businesses unsustainably. According to Cna estimates, in the short term, the increase in fuel can result in about 3,000 euros in additional costs for each business, but if the crisis persists, it could exceed 15,000 euros.

Cna Fita at the national level has already requested an extraordinary tax credit from the Government, to be financed with the extra VAT revenue, but believes that for Sicily the situation requires additional and targeted interventions. «We ask the Sicilian Region to take action on two fronts - the note continues - urgently convene a crisis table to try to resolve the dispute involving the companies of the Priolo plant and normalize the market, and establish, through Irfis and Crias, a specific fund for freight and passenger transport companies, both industrial and artisanal, that provides a non-repayable contribution of 30% for the purchase of fuel stocks starting from January 1, 2026».