The National Association of Fuel Retailers (Anadegas), demanded this Tuesday greater transparency in fuel prices, and welcomed the disposition of President Luis Abinader to review the legal framework of petroleum derivatives, which will allow the elimination of businesses created with fuels.
Juan Matos, president of Anadegas, along with other executives, said, according to a statement, that they have been consistent in maintaining the defense of consumers demanding transparency in weekly calculations and the PPI of fuels, as the only way that these the population arrive cheaper.
“We have requested that not only Law 112-00 on hydrocarbons be reviewed, but the entire legal framework that encompasses the market, including regulations, decrees and resolutions from the recent past, issued to favor a particular group with businesses and thousands of gallons of fuel. ”, He emphasized.
Matos affirmed that they have recommended to the President the revision of these regulations, because the people may be more favored and the Government will receive more resources for the General State Budget.
“The prices of oil derivatives depend on external factors because we do not have oil, and our refinery only processes a third of the fuel purchased for consumption, which we understand that the Government must embark on building a terminal with greater storage capacity” , he specified.
The president of Anadegas emphasized that “with a greater infrastructure, the Government would take advantage of low prices to have a strategic reserve of no less than six months, a situation that would bring relief to consumers and therefore, many foreign exchange savings to the country.”
In relation to what some analysts establish about the marketing margins that they badly call “profits”, Matos clarifies that these are operational margins with which they cover all the commitments of the stations, from investment to payments of services¸ payroll of the staff, and others that implies being able to provide an efficient service to the population.
Fuel retailers stated that if the operating margins from 2001 to 2021 are compared in percentage terms, it can be reflected that there are very few variations (see attached table).
“Making comparisons with absolute values is not logical, when at this time the stations need exorbitant resources to maintain inventories due to high prices, a variation that does not benefit us at all, even if it is doubted,” said Matos.
Matos said that the products sold by stations affiliated with Anadegas come from Refidomsa, which when leaving there have their letter of guarantee, which gives security to consumers that they have the required quality and quantity, and we are constantly monitored by the Dominican Institute. de la Calidad (INDOCAL), who supervises the stations nationwide.
