the building craftsmen in turn win their case

Residents of Finistère who feared a shortage of gasoline at service stations can be reassured. On Wednesday, building and public works craftsmen who blocked two fuel depots in Brest and Lorient broke camp after winning their case.

After the farmers, the construction sector in turn obtained satisfaction with the prices of diesel. The government announced on Tuesday February 13 that it will fully compensate, for small businesses in the sector, the increase in taxes planned for this year on GNR, non-road diesel, used for construction equipment and machinery. The Confederation of Crafts and Small Building Companies welcomes this. “Our demands have been heard”, ensures the employers’ organization of building craftsmen. The same goes for the FFB, the French federation of the sector.

The reaction is different from the National Federation of Public Works which represents the largest companies. The FNTP believes, in fact, that this advantage for the smallest players creates “a niche within the tax niche” which complicates the system, contrary to the government’s promises of administrative simplification. The FNTP also fears that this will create a distortion of competition among small and medium-sized construction companies.

Reimbursement in 2025

The increase of six cents per liter in a tax on GNR will ultimately be compensated for companies with a maximum of fifteen employees, at least until December, promises the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. Small and very small businesses which will benefit from this will be able to be reimbursed up to 20,000 euros, but not before the beginning of 2025 because these reimbursements will be made on the basis of fuel expenses which will have been incurred this year.

After the 400 million check signed for farmers, this is a new substantial gesture on the part of the State, but in smaller proportions. The Ministry of the Economy estimates that this compensation, granted to construction workers, should cost around 20 million euros. The government intends to go further by announcing the holding in the coming weeks of a National Construction and Renovation Council which will address a range of subjects, including that of interest rates applied to sums owed by bad payers, know the customers of craftsmen who do not pay their invoices on time.