Gasoline prices rose again at Brazilian service stations last week and already cost R$ 7,999 per liter in Bagé (RS), where research by the ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels) found the highest value.
On the national average, the fuel was sold at R$ 6.710 per liter, an increase of 2.2%, even with transfers from the last adjustment promoted by Petrobras, of 7%, at the end of October. The value is a new record since the ANP began compiling fuel prices in the country, in 2002.
The price of diesel also maintained an upward trend, reaching R$ 5.339 per liter, the national average. The value is 2.4% higher than that practiced in the previous week. In Cruzeiro do Sul (AC) the product is already available for R$ 6.70 per liter.
Diesel was readjusted by 9.1% on the same day that Petrobras increased gasoline. The rise led to protests from truckers and transport companies, with an unsuccessful attempt at a national strike earlier this month.
The escalation of fuel prices and the risk of a new stoppage of truckers has generated an offensive by President Jair Bolsonaro (no party) against Petrobras, in yet another strategy to transfer responsibility for the crisis.
On Monday (8), he again complained about the high profits of the state-owned company and defended its privatization. “We are going to complain about who is really responsible for this: Petrobras is responsible,” said the president, in an interview with Jovem Pan radio.
“It’s a company that is existing in a monopoly for itself and its shareholders. I want to disclose, the numbers are astronomical of Petrobras’ profits over the years, and much of it goes to shareholders.”
In the interview, the president repeated that Petrobras is about to announce new readjustments, although the state-owned company denies that it anticipates decisions on prices by the government.
The president’s series of statements about Petrobras led to the opening of investigations at the CVM (Securities Commission) for the effects on the company’s share price on the Stock Exchange.
According to the ANP, the price of a gas cylinder remained stable last week, when it averaged R$ 102.48. Hydrous ethanol, on the other hand, fell by 1.9%, to R$ 4,099. Vehicle natural gas rose 2.4%, to R$ 4.256 per cubic meter.
This month, the freezing of reference prices for charging ICMS on fuel began to take effect, a measure that would help smooth out transfers to the pumps, according to the government and the fuel sector.
Since the readjustment at the end of October, the price of gasoline at the pumps has risen by 5.1%. Diesel rose 7.1% in the period.
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