Britain will consider measures to abate energy bills, UK’s Johnson says

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will listen to businesses and consumers on measures to abate rising energy bills, but a cut in sales tax on gas and electricity was a “blunt instrument”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

“We will continue to listen to businesses and consumers about how to abate the costs of energy,” he told a news conference. “I’m not ruling out further measures.”

“The argument is … that (value added tax) is a bit of a blunt instrument, and the difficulty is that you end up also cutting fuel bills for a lot of people who perhaps don’t need the support in quite the direct way that we need to give it.”

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, writing by Paul Sandle, editing by Chris Reese)

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will listen to businesses and consumers on measures to abate rising energy bills, but a cut in sales tax on gas and electricity was a “blunt instrument”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

“We will continue to listen to businesses and consumers about how to abate the costs of energy,” he told a news conference. “I’m not ruling out further measures.”

“The argument is … that (value added tax) is a bit of a blunt instrument, and the difficulty is that you end up also cutting fuel bills for a lot of people who perhaps don’t need the support in quite the direct way that we need to give it.”

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, writing by Paul Sandle, editing by Chris Reese)