Abusive gas price? See where to report to the government – 05/22/2023 – Market

Fuel stations may suffer sanctions if this Wednesday’s Fair Price Mutirão (24) finds any irregularity. The approach initially has the objective of verifying if the stations lowered the price after Petrobras’ announcement.

According to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the fact of not reducing the values, by itself, does not constitute an abusive practice and, therefore, the action that Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat) is implementing needs to be evaluated in all its phases.

Senacon launched a reporting channel for cases of abusive prices at service stations. Consumers will be able to file complaints through an online form. Access here.

The objective is to investigate possible abusive practices and apply the appropriate sanctions to violators, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Code.

The secretariat also established partnerships with consumer protection agencies across the country to strengthen inspection and expand the capacity to respond to complaints.

At this first moment, the mutirão will survey the sales values. After this step, a report will be presented and an Interinstitutional Committee formed by Cade (Administrative Council for Economic Defense), ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) and Senacon.

Service stations may suffer sanctions, such as a fine, after opening an administrative process to investigate whether there are signs of a cartel or unjustifiable adjustments, for example.

Senacon secretary Wadih Damous told the Sheet that the Procons go to the posts and will check if this week’s price is lower than the previous week’s.

“Each Procon has its own way, there is no standardized way. What is standard is to go to the posts. What posts? Sometimes there was a complaint saying that they are not complying with the government measure, others are through the expertise of events past. From the information they give us, we will plan this and have a conclusion of how the measures are being received by the stations”, he said.

Last week, the secretary had already said in an interview with journalists that he was attentive to fuel prices. At the time, he said he hoped that he would have the spontaneous compliance to lower the amount charged for fuel, otherwise, it would be through supervisory and coercive activity.

On the occasion, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, also spoke on the subject.

“Of course we know that there is no price regulation, we have prices subject to a relative fluctuation in relation to free market rules, however, free market in Brazil and in all countries of the world is ruled”, concluded the minister.