Anarec denies benefits on margins in the fuels – Observer

The Association of Dealers of Fuel (Anarec) said on Saturday that they do not have benefits with the increase of the gross margin on the final price before tax of the fuel, which the Government has asked the Competition Authority (AdC) to investigate.

"we didn’t participate in the creation of this price. We have a margin is fixed which is contracted with the oil companies, which are our suppliers, therefore, if you increase the price of fuel, our margin remains because it is contracted as well," he explained to Lusa vice-president of the association, Francisco Albuquerque.

At the request of the secretary of State for Energy, Jorge Seguro Sanches, to the AdC, which consists of a letter sent to that authority, to which Lusa had access, the ruler claims there is "evidence that supports an effort in the research" about the price of fuel.

"Eliminated the effect of the tax burden on the prices (ISP and VAT), the relative weight of what we may designate gross margin has been on the increase particularly significant, deviating significantly from what had been its historical average," says the secretary of State, in a letter sent to the president of the AdC, Margarida Matos Rosa.

But soon after the public disclosure of the letter, the Anarec went public to say that it was necessary to "clarify once and for all" that the resellers of fuels "does not benefit or profit from nothing" with the increase in the price of fuel.

"our sales margins are generally fixed and are contracted with the petroleum companies, which are at the bottom of our suppliers," explained the vice-president, noting that, when you increase the price of fuel, the trade margin of the retailers increases.

"If anyone profits from this increase, certainly not are resellers of fuel, which for many years dealing with various difficulties," he said, highlighting among the difficulties of "lean banks" marketing and the "fight" for a better distribution of the margins for the value chain.

"we Are the last link in the chain, and we are not directly related to price formation, this will be the amount and will have implications for the level of Government, political power, and eventually of the oil companies," charged.

The Government, in the letter sent by Jorge Seguro Sanches, remember that in 2014 the gross margin of gasoline and diesel was 19%, of the final price before taxes, having risen year after year, to arrive in 2016 to 28% in the case of petrol and 24% on diesel.

"it Is difficult to understand how it is possible that in three years a strong and continuous reduction in the cost of raw materials, the gross margin per gallon sold has resisted so persistent," concludes the ruling.