Since this Friday morning, the day on which a drop in fuel prices is recorded and the gasoline subsidy begins at $3.95 for private vehicles, the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (Acodeco), carried out an inspection in various fuel stations to guarantee that the established prices and the norms dictated by the Executive are complied with.
According to Jorge Quintero, general manager of Acodeco, he explained that among the irregularities found is that when they offer full service and self-service there is a difference in price, so he said that each station must have a firefighter dispatching. At the same time, he explained that there is a price difference between the station’s main board and that of the vending machines.
Quintero highlighted that so far this year there are 18 sanctioned fuel stations. “These sanctions depend on the size of the offense and recidivism. The Government has made a huge sacrifice between now and December, so that gasoline is regulated at $3.95; more than 100,000 people have registered to receive this benefit,” he remarked.
Similarly, in compliance with Executive Decree No. 13 of July 13, 2022, which sets the maximum retail prices of another 10 food products of the basic basket, Acodeco carries out the corresponding verifications throughout the country.
Now there are 18 products of the basic food basket, which remain under price control.
The 10 new products are: babilla (B/.2.99 a pound); sardine in tomato sauce without spicy of 155 grams in 51 hundredths; the prickly pear in water, can of 170 grams in B/. 1.31; national mortadella with pepper (packaged 454 grams at B/. 3.24) and the national sausage, packed 454 grams, frankfurter at B/.2.14. In addition, the elbows of 454 grams at 69 hundredths; macaroni (spaghetti, in a 454-gram package, excludes calibers other than 3 to 5, whole grains and flavors of carrot, spinach, at B/.0.63 each; white michita bread, one pound B/. 1.40, grade 2 quality lentils or less at B/.0.81 and national and imported vegetable oil, palm or soybean, in containers of 1.42 to 1.5 liters at B/.3.74.
While the other 8 products that were already and continue to be under control: bone-in strip steak (B/. 2.55 a pound); prime ground beef, excluding kosher special and low-fat at B.2.15 per pound; whole Panama chicken, with legs and head, B/.1.18 per pound); first class rice (all presentations) B/. 0.40 a pound; powdered milk (whole, instant in any container with a content of 345 – 400 grams, excludes dairy foods, growth milks and infant formulas, B/.3.76; white sliced bread in 14-18 ounce packaging at B/. 0.92 (excludes whole grain, oatmeal, rye, multigrain, egg, milk, butter, raisins, light) Processed American-style yellow cheese (for all curd percentages, excludes light varieties, with bell pepper, bacon, etc.) with a curd content of less than 65% (price by weight sold in block) at B/.3.00 per pound and per individual slice at 10 hundredths each; sausages containing beef (includes those sold loose or in packaging of 1 pound; excludes imported frankfurter type, smoked, cocktail, light, jumbo, gluten-free, angus, kosher, low sodium, with cheese) to B/.1.19.
To date, the entity records that this year it has imposed 102 fines in the first instance for a total amount of B/.41,855.00 for non-compliance with the price control of the 8 essential products. The fines for non-compliance with this measure are immediate.
Acodeco reminds citizens that for any complaint about the price control of these 18 products, Acodeco makes its Institutional Information and Complaint System (Sindi) available, which works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and access is through WhatsApp and Telegram at 6330-3333, the AcocecoPma social network accounts on Facebook, Twitter and the website of this institution.
