Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the government is not currently considering reducing excise duty on fuel. He attributed rising fuel prices to the ongoing conflict and said the government expects prices to fall once the situation stabilizes.
“At this stage, no such issue is being considered. You know that the increase in fuel prices was caused by the ongoing conflict. We hope the conflict will be resolved soon, bringing prices down. We will wait and see how events develop,” Kobakhidze said.
Earlier, Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze told Parliament that even halving the excise duty on oil would not significantly reduce fuel prices. He estimated the effect at around GEL 0.25 per litre, which could be offset within a single day by changes in international oil prices. Kakauridze was responding to MP Giorgi Sharashidze, who asked whether a temporary reduction or deferral of fuel excise could help ease inflationary pressure.
According to Geostat’s September 2026 data, rising fuel prices contributed 2.2 percentage points to annual inflation, which reached 5.6%. Compared with September last year, petrol prices rose by 30% and diesel prices by 54%.
