Prates defends reviewing import parity in Petrobras’ pricing policy

Appointed to preside over Petrobras, Senator Jean Paul Prates (PT) defended this Wednesday (4) the review of the company’s pricing policy regarding the so-called import parity – which takes into account costs such as ship freight, internal transport costs and port fees.

According to him, the prices practiced in Brazil comply with the import calculation even when the fuel production is domestic. The criticism is similar to that of the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) administration, which began to seek changes in the values ​​practiced mainly from changes in command of Petrobras and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

“Import parity is what doesn’t make sense to us, in some cases. This will be worked out properly,” said Prates. “We have to have a price that reflects the fact that we produce in Brazil. That’s all. There’s no reason to be scared about it,” he said.

According to him, the practice today makes the refinery charge the equivalent of an imported product for domestic production, “without considering that 80% of this diesel is produced right next door”.

For him, it is one thing to use the international market as a reference. “Another is to say that at the Duque de Caxias refinery you have to practice [preço do] rotterdam diesel plus the [custo com o] ship that brings him, plus the [valor para usar o] pipeline to reach the refinery… As this diesel was produced there”, he says.

He also said that there may be a policy of regionalization of the price reference and that the matter will be discussed with the government. “This is an idea of ​​mine that we will discuss in the appropriate forum, which is the CNPE [Conselho Nacional de Política Energética]”, he said, adding that the body brings together the Presidency of the Republic and a series of ministers.

Earlier, Prates told the Bloomberg agency that there would be no intervention in the company’s prices or price fixing – which encouraged the company’s investors on the Stock Exchange. Afterwards, he gave new statements to journalists, but repeated that there would be no intervention.

“Of course not, no one has ever mentioned intervention,” he said. “Petrobras does not intervene in prices, it complies with what the market and the government create in context. Petrobras reacts to a context. We are going to create our price policy for our customers”, he said.

“If I said that Petrobras controls the price to the point of affecting the entire national market, I would be acknowledging something that I am against being said – that Petrobras has a refining monopoly, that it dominates the market, and that is not true. market is open to imports and Petrobras has all the refineries in the world as a competitor”, he said, without going deeper.

Fuel prices are among the main concerns of the new government at the beginning of its mandate. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) extended the exemption for most fuels for 60 days and, meanwhile, a definitive solution to the matter is being debated.

Prates sees it as feasible for the government to reach a solution before the end of the 60-day exemption period.

“I think it’s perfectly doable for us to be able to think by then [fim de fevereiro]”, said Prates. According to him, the decision on whether or not to return taxation after that period, however, is up to the government – ​​and the company will just follow the rules in force.

Prates also said that the price stabilization account, defended by him to be activated in moments of extreme increase in oil prices, would be fueled by extra royalties received by the Union with the increase in prices and could be directed to a part of the market only – for example, for cooking gas or diesel.

Appointed to Petrobras, Prates estimates that he can assume the position of president on an interim basis in about ten days if approved by the company’s board. In 30 days after that, an assembly needs to endorse his name in charge of the company.