Government carries out operation to investigate high fuel prices at gas stations across the country

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security coordinates this Thursday (5) an operation to investigate the high amounts charged at gas stations across the country.

to CNN Brazil the national consumer secretary, Rodrigo Roca, said that the operation is not intended to regulate prices charged at gas stations, but to find out why fuel prices are still so high and not lower, considering the tax changes made by the government.

“Senacon is concerned with the consumer. Why, after the government abdicated a billion-dollar collection, zeroed the tax rate such as PIS/Cofins, changed the form of ICMS taxation, why did the consumer still feel the effects of the measures after that?”, asked the secretary .

Roca informed that this Thursday’s action takes place simultaneously in 10 Brazilian states and is just the first part of a set of inspection operations that will take place throughout the month of May.

“We’ve called procons across the country to try to understand what’s going on. We want to know why there was an estimated reduction, with the measures adopted, and was there an increase? The market is free, but it has to respect the easing of taxation, that’s what we’re going after,” he said.

The secretary stressed that the operation aims to understand the prices that are found in the pumps, and at this first moment it has no condemnatory intention, with the application of sanctions depending on irregularities found.

However, if any irregularity is found, the regulatory bodies may decide to suspend or close the activity of the station, as well as to apply a fine or close a fuel pump.

“By the end of the day, the agents of the procons should have returned to the agencies with all the data at this first moment”, he concluded.

Text published by Fabricio Julião Filho, from CNN Brasil Business, in São Paulo