Despite the prices, they reported the lack of fuel at service stations – Diario La Provincia SJ

Argentina's transition from the official intervention during Kirchnerism and the move to the imagined free market proposed by the management of Mauricio Macri has just cast a new paradox: although the prices of the Gasoline and diesel in the country are free, as Energy Minister Javier Iguacel has said in recent weeks, petrol stations are reporting more and more problems buying fuel. And they attribute this situation to prices: since oil companies do not want to increase if they do not own 55% of the market, YPF prefers moderate sales.

"There are signs of significant shortages inside the country This is happening now in all brands, because even though YPF has no supply problems, these mouths suffer from the stocks break because they can not cope with the migration of sales of service stations that have not produced, "says Carlos Gold, president of Cecha, the confederation that groups institutions across the country.

According to Gold, the oil companies Shell, Axion and Trafigura (operates under the Puma brand and also provides white stations, as those who do not have a brand name) do not deliver products as long as the stations ask. Detall that, according to the count of the organization that runs, the biggest problems are found in Chaco, Corrientes, Santa Fe, Crdoba and Mendoza.

According to Cecha, there is a total stock-out in Tilcara (Jujuy), and between There are delays in the supply of signaling stations, as in San Luis and Santiago del Estero

The biggest problems in the pumps are related to the diesel supply. In a WhatsApp message that Shell has sent to some of its operators over the past few days, the company has informed that at the end of the month "they exceed the volumes reported by mail a few days ago, the price x [dixit] m3 [metros cbicos] because the calculation of this surplus will be made "at another value. The same text adds: "As you can see, there was an increase in this surplus due to an increase in import prices."

And yesterday the general manager of commerce, Daniel Deu, sent a note to his operators similar concepts. "Several factors, mainly related to delays in the arrival of ships with imported products, have led to diselivery of food on a regular basis in recent days. in the middle of next week, expected date of arrival of the boats, so by the end of this week we will have the product to recover the normal supply ", complete.YPF, d & # 39; on the other hand, had problems in part of its infrastructure, something that complicates supply in the northeast. 19659002] Earlier this month, service station complaints due to fuel shortages were warned. On this occasion, Iguacel pleaded before the petition: "Restriction that there is a restriction, refineries have enough production to supply the market."

Shell also warned its operators that next week a boat will arrive with imported diesel fuel to offset the shortage of this fuel. The situation was complicated, the recognized sources of the market, especially in the north of the country, by the delay in the arrival of the ship, which was to be in the past.

A visit to Greater Buenos Aires reveals that some service stations have difficulty obtaining the required amount of fuel. For example, Hctor Mucci, owner of a white gas station in Salvador Sodera Street, Villa Dominico, says that there is no fuel there 15 days, although the The decline in supply began almost at the same time as the exchange rate. . "The dealer says that the distributor is not selling it, that the fuels are not falling or that the boat is not coming in," said Mucci.

Coincidentally, at an oil station in Moreno, it is said that the fuel has been delivered with a dropper since February. "The distributor depends on what YPF says, but they say that there is no product, the oil company says that there is a lot of demand, so they get an average monthly sale and the stations regulate the sale, "they said.

A report prepared by Cecha a Iguacel indicates that some 45 outlets have difficulties in Crdoba. Most are white or oil, but there is also YPF and Axion in the list.

In some of the companies indicated that the origin of the problems has to do with the specific situation of some companies. For various reasons, the San Lorenzo and Baha Blanca refineries are almost out of order. The first comes from Oil Fuels, the company of Cristbal Lpez which is at a legal crossroads. This has led their customers to source from other channels that do not consider them a priority.

At the same time, the so-called white stations, which do not have contracts with the big oil companies and are fighting more against the price, have fewer suppliers to obtain the fuel.

Last week, the owners of gas stations met the new minister and raised the issue. Iguacel reiterated that the prices are free, that each company can put the value that it wants and that the request decides what it considers suitable at the time of filling the tank. Ace, gave his pitch with the price agreement, which provided for escalations, which had arranged his predecessor Juan Jos Aranguren.

Some oil companies had a different explanation for shortages. They say that some stations have started asking for fuel compared to their historical supply, so that companies are failing to meet this demand.

In one of the companies, sources who requested a reservation of their name claimed that they were not short of supplies. And they added that there is more eagerness for the demand for stocks, in a context where, due to the increase in the exchange rate and the price lag in general compared to the international market, there are more imports.

Source: The Nacin