Procons start joint effort to inspect gas stations

This Wednesday (24th) began the task force of the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) to monitor gas stations that did not reduce the average selling prices of gasoline and diesel, after the price drop promoted by Petrobras. On May 16, Senacon issued an official letter to state and municipal Procons, requesting this monitoring at gas stations across the country. The document instructed Procon units to carry out a detailed survey of prices. On the 18th, it was announced that the mutirão would start this Wednesday. During the event, the National Consumer Secretary, Wadih Damous, said that the reduction announced by Petrobras and the federal government was adopted with the objective of benefiting the entire population, and not to favor a sector that, according to him, “perhaps is the most cartelized part of the Brazilian economy”. The secretary has reiterated criticism against “fraud and abuse” that, according to complaints presented to Senacon, would be being practiced by gas stations. In the letter sent to the Procons, Damous said that he will not accept situations of this type. In an interview for the program A Voz do Brasil, by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), this week, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, declared that there will be “a firm hand from the government so that the drop in prices reaches the pump”. Form Senacon opened a complaint channel against gas stations. In the first days, more than a thousand complaints of abusive prices were registered. To file a complaint, simply fill out a simple form, with basic data on the complainant and the company being accused. The form was made available on the Senacon website. Reduction On Monday (15), Petrobras’ Executive Board approved a commercial strategy for defining diesel and gasoline prices that ended the subordination of values ​​to the import parity price. The following day, the company announced a reduction of R$0.44 per liter in the average price of diesel for distributors, which went from R$3.46 to R$3.02. The reduction in the average price of gasoline was R$0.40 per liter, from R$3.18 to R$2.78, an amount also paid by distributors. With the state-owned company’s new policy, market references place the customer’s alternative cost as a priority in pricing; and considers the marginal value for Petrobras, based on costs and opportunities observed in different stages of the activity, including production, import and export of products. The assumptions, according to a note released by the company, are competitive prices per sales center, “optimal” participation of Petrobras in the market, optimization of its refining assets and profitability in a sustainable manner. According to the state-owned company, the readjustments will continue to be made without a defined frequency and will avoid transfers of the volatility of international prices and the exchange rate to Brazilian consumers.

Agência Brasil