The ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels) approved this Thursday (4) a package of changes in fuel retail, which includes the release for home sale and the elimination of one decimal place in prices.
Part of the package had already been anticipated by a provisional measure (MP) issued by the government in September, with the authorization for the stations to sell fuel from other brands, in an attempt to recover lost popularity due to the escalation of prices.
The main novelty in the package announced on Thursday is the release for sale of fuels by delivery. The topic had been debated internally since 2019, after the GoFit company asked for authorization to provide the service.
With soaring prices after the pandemic, it was also defended by the federal government as a measure that could benefit consumers. The sector, however, questions the safety of this type of service, as posts have the structure to face emergencies.
The ANP says that, at first, the activity will be restricted to sales of ethanol and gasoline. Delivery can only be made in the municipality where the post is located and, to join the program, the post must comply with the ANP Quality Monitoring Program.
On another front, the ANP also authorized TRRs, a type of company that sells fuel to large consumers, to sell gasoline. Initially they could only offer diesel. In September, they were also authorized to work with hydrated ethanol.
The change in the price display must take place within 180 days. The ANP says that a value with only two decimal places, as is the case with most products, will make it easier for consumers to understand.
In a statement, the ANP said that the changes announced on Thursday had been discussed since the 2018 truck drivers’ strike. This year, the agency held public consultations to debate the issue, but ended up being run over by the federal government’s MP.
In addition to releasing the sale of products from other brands, the MP authorized the direct sale of ethanol between mills and service stations. The changes were made on the grounds that they could help lower final prices.
The MP was criticized by the market and by consumer protection entities, which see a limited effect on prices but a high risk of fraud. Claiming risk of “market disruption” and legal uncertainty, distributors try to overturn the changes in Congress.
Affected by the escalation of fuel prices, President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) elected the issue as one of his priorities, but he has not been successful in his measures to try to contain the rise.
Since prices started to soar, Bolsonaro has already fired a president of Petrobras, reduced federal taxes on diesel (temporarily) and gas cylinders, edited the MP for Fuels and has been fighting with governors for the reduction of ICMS.
Even so, the prices of gasoline, diesel and bottled gas broke historical records in 2021 — the one for gasoline occurred last week — and the perspective is for new adjustments until the end of the year. With no results, Bolsonaro went on to say that he wants to privatize Petrobras.
There is a consensus in the market, however, that one of the main factors of pressure on prices is the expensive dollar, as a result of uncertainties about the Brazilian economy and the climate of political instability. This Thursday, for example, the American currency rose 0.33%, to R$ 5.60, in response to the approval of the PEC dos Precatórios.
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