“They are selling gasoline in bottles in stores”, the deputy of the National Party for Soriano, María Fajardo, warned in Parliament. The representative denounced in the Special Border Commission with Argentina that in her department there is “internal smuggling” of fuel that is brought from the place La Víbora, in the department of Rio Negro.
“Everyone knows that I am not lying, and that people cross with drums and tanks. It is so. The stationers, with whom we have had meetings, as well as the mayor (Guillermo) Besozzi and the rest of the deputies, are very upset”, assured the deputy according to the shorthand version of the meeting.
Why is this happening? Today the service stations that are located within a maximum radius of 20 kilometers from the land border crossing with Argentina sell gasoline with a 30% discount on the Specific Internal Tax (Imesi). This measure covers the departments of Salto, Paysandú and Río Negro.
Like the seasons Soriano does not have a discount on the rates, inhabitants of Mercedes and surrounding areas go to the Ancap stamp station in the town of La Víbora, at the intersection of route 2 and 24 on the way to Fray Bentos, to buy cheaper fuel. This taking advantage of the few kilometers that separate it from that point where the tax benefit does arrive.
Deputies from the department of Soriano have proposed that expand the scope of the tax benefit, which requires initiative of the Executive Power. “We lack the land border and we can agree that it is not 24% and it is a little less, so that they do not move from another side and so that we do not spread the problem to another place, but we appreciate that you listen to us over and over again. a thousand times. We are not angry, but it is a reality that hits us,” Fajardo said.
Currently, for a liter of Super gasoline, the Imesi represents a charge of $18.38 (23.16%) of the retail price, which today is $79.38. LA refund of 30% of this tax implies a discount of $5.5 per liter for that gasoline and Applies only to payments with debit and credit cards.
“Apart from filling the tank, they carry drums to bring more gasoline and it cannot be that we favor those who have more, because in La Víbora those who are going to put fuel are not the most vulnerable, they even go to throw it into the boat and it is good that they do, but that’s not the benefit. The 30% discount at La Víbora is wrong. Here we are not helping those who have a motorcycle or a little car in which they go to work every day, because it is not useful for them to go ”Besozzi told the Agesor portal last month. In recent days, this station stopped selling gasoline in drums, according to what the mayor reported in local media.
In February 2021, the deputy of the Colorado Party for Paysandú, Juan Moreno, had proposed in a communication minute a second band of 20% to 40% special discount from Imesi for gasoline in the border area of Constitución, Nuevo Berlín and Chapicuy.
In another strip it was thought of a discount of 50%, taking into account the problems of Mercedes and from some nearby stations, which could be affected and that “suffer from internal smuggling that is lethal and very risky, not only commercially,” said the national representative. “Many things are seen that we believe can be corrected, convinced that this reality of Imesi’s discount was and is very good for our area,” Moreno said.
