Argentina carried out controls this Thursday in the province of Misiones to guarantee the supply of fuel and prevent smuggling across borders, in a context where shortages are worsening in 19 of the 24 districts of the neighboring country, according to official sources.
Source: EFE
“During today’s day, controls were carried out at various border points in the country, including in the city of Iguazú, Misiones, in the northern zone that borders Paraguay and Brazil,” the Ministry of Economy reported in a statement.
Members of the National Gendarmerie (border police) and agents of the tax collection agency, Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP) are executing operations to guarantee the supply of fuel and prevent its possible sale on the black market.
Due to the fact that the Argentine oil company YPF resolved last Wednesday to increase the price of fuel in vehicles with foreign license plates, in addition, light and transport cars will only be able to load Infinia Diesel -YPF’s highest quality diesel- at 240 pesos per liter ( $1.98).
The measure began to be applied in the province of Mendoza (west, bordering Chile) and in the Litoral (northeast, bordering Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay).
“This measure seeks to limit the unusually high demand associated with border and logistics consumption, where growth exceeds 30% in some parts of the country,” sources from the Argentine oil company told Efe.
In this sense, the official notice of the economic portfolio stated that the operations are coordinated by the Argentine Ministry of Security and are part of a set of measures that are being developed by the Ministry of Energy to respond to the historical record of demand for fuels. .
SHORTAGE
According to data from the Argentine Federation of Freight Transport Business Entities (FADEEAC) between May 25 and June 5, 19 of 24 provinces have supply problems.
Only the five districts of Patagonia, which are producers of hydrocarbons, maintain levels of easy accessibility.
The shortage of fuel brought problems to different industries in the country for two months, because it is the most used in agricultural machinery, transport trucks and passenger buses, among others.
The agricultural sector is one of the most affected because the lack of fuel prevents them from lifting their crops to transport them to collection sites or export ports.
The grain sales season usually increases the demand for fuel, which is normally met with imports, but the lack of foreign currency and exceptionally high international prices make it a difficult scenario to cope with.
On the other hand, it is more profitable for foreigners to refuel in the border cities of Argentina at the official exchange rate.
A month ago, the official value of Infinia Diesel had risen to 145.90 pesos ($1.20) per liter throughout the country.
