The average prices of gasoline and diesel renewed historic records in the first week after the adjustments promoted by Petrobras last Saturday (18). According to the ANP (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis), the price of diesel at pumps rose 9.6% and that of gasoline, 2.2%.
Diesel was sold this week at an average price of R$7,568 per litre. The research found the product at up to R$ 8,950 per liter, in Cruzeiro do Sul (AC). In the week before the transfers, the maximum was R$ 8,630, in Irecê and Valença, in Bahia
The liter of gasoline was sold, on average, at R$ 7,390. The highest price was found in São Paulo: R$ 8,890 per liter. It is a lower value than the R$ 8,990 verified in the previous week.
The previous record in the price of diesel was verified in the week ended on May 21: R$ 6,943 per liter. The price of gasoline had its peak of R$ 7,298 per liter in the week ended on May 14th.
It is the first time that diesel is more expensive than gasoline in the country since the ANP began to carry out a weekly price survey at gas stations, reflecting the international crisis in the supply of diesel, which increased the difference between the sale value of two fuels by the refineries.
The government has already zeroed federal taxes on the product and is trying to convince states to lower the ICMS, but has been meeting resistance. As an alternative, it is studying a support program for truck drivers, an important support base for the election of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
To try to lower the price of gasoline, the government supported a bill that established a ceiling on the ICMS tax rate on fuel. The text, however, has no impact on diesel, which has rates below the ceiling in most states.
The readjustments of 5.2% in gasoline and 14.2% in the price of diesel announced last Friday (17) increased pressure from the government and allies on Petrobras, with threats of opening a CPI and changes in the State Law.
The pressure led the then president of the company, José Mauro Coelho, to resign this Monday (20). He had already been fired by Bolsonaro, but was waiting for a shareholders’ meeting to endorse the name of his replacement, Caio Paes de Andrade.
According to the ANP, the price of hydrated ethanol continues to fall at gas stations, reaching R$4.873 per liter this week, down 3.4% from the previous week. In one month, the average price of fuel fell by 4.1%.
The price of cooking gas remains stable. This week, the 13 kilo cylinder was sold, on average, at R$ 112.70. The average price of CNG (natural gas for vehicles) interrupted a sequence of highs and fell 0.8% this week, to R$ 5.313 per cubic meter.
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