Since yesterday Monday, Petropar offers two types of fuel at promotional prices. These are type III diesel and 93-octane gasoline, which registered decreases of G. 1000 and G. 800 per liter, respectively. This after the government subsidy in the face of the increase in prices generated by the rise in oil barrels.
However, legislators question that a subsidy has been established without previously defining the source of financing.
Denis Lichi, president of Petropar, participated in the Senate board meeting yesterday morning precisely to answer that and other questions. The Secretary of State stated that he wants to pay for it with the collection generated by the increase in the tobacco tax decreed at the beginning of February (between US$ 2 to 3 million) plus other sources of financing that remain unspecified. Also part of the tax on alcoholic beverages.
“We insist that Lichi identify that source of financing or the possibility of redirecting loans that are not works, but this will take time. They said that they are going to analyze why they have IDB loans that have not been used yet, but that they would be necessary to match the budget,” said Desirée Masi, a national senator for the PDP, who participated in the meeting.
The Selective Consumption Tax (ISC) on fuel generates around US$300 million a year for the Treasury. The fuel subsidy is generated by eliminating this tax from the sales value. If the subsidy lasts two months, the Treasury’s loss will be around US$40 million approximately (US$20 million per month on average).
How to cover these losses is what is under debate, since Petropar does not know what the sources of financing will be, apart from the increase in the tobacco tax.
“They are going to see if they ask for authorizations as long as they can redirect the loans. They need an authorization to be able to redirect the loans from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and the Agricultural Credit for Habilitation (CAH),” the legislator reported at another time.
He pointed out that another problem is that private sector emblems are not included in the negotiations. Considering that Petropar is not present throughout the country (in the departments of Amambay and Alto Paraguay there are no stations), and, furthermore, in other departments it only has a few stations.
“We want Petropar to strengthen itself as a regulatory entity. In this way they will be able to import fuel without going through the contracting law, which prevents them from making an immediate purchase when prices drop. Begin to strengthen the regulatory entity and then to make it a distribution entity”, he pointed out.
FUEL STOCK
On Monday morning, some users reported on social networks that several stations were out of supplies.
When asked why there were service stations without the two types of fuels in promotion, Lichi stated that the shortage was caused by an increase in sales on Sunday and that the affected points will be replenished as soon as possible.
The head of Petropar reported that on Sunday many people went and already loaded. Taking into account that half of the discounts (G. 500 for both types of fuel) are already available since last Thursday, March 17. At the same time, he promises to replace the stations that were left without supplies as soon as possible.
Masi questioned that Petropar does not have the necessary supply to satisfy demand.
“The reality is that they do not have enough supply. Only now will they speak with the private sector to see what kind of public-private alliance can be made. They promise that there will be trucks at the service stations where there is a massive demand so that the product is not lacking, ”he informed about it.
