Karam el Shenawy
December 19, 2022
The National Market and Competition Commission would have studied the strong additional discounts offered by these three oil companies after complaints from small operators
The rise in the price of a liter of diesel and gasoline was a hard blow for the vast majority of drivers who, compared to the previous year, saw how filling the tank of their vehicles cost them practically double. To alleviate this situation, the Government launched a subsidy program that reduced by 20 cents per liter. An improvement to which the vast majority of gas stations complemented with an additional discount. Well, now the National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC) has announced that it has opened a investigation of three major oil companies for “possible anti-competitive practices”.
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Sources familiar with the investigations indicated to Europa Press that the investigation has been initiated due to complaints filed by independent operators due to the aggressive discount that the three indicated (without saying so explicitly are Repsol, Cepsa and BP) have done in recent months reaching up to 10 cents in some cases. Rate at which these small operators, according to news sources, The confidential they assure that they are Aease and Acih) are unable to arrive, leaving them out of the market.
The inspections carried out by the CNMC were carried out between on November 28 and December 2 and if the existence of anti-competitive practices in this sense is confirmed, could constitute an infringement of articles 1 and 2 of the Law on Competition Defense and 101 and 102 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, as the public body explains, these records are “a preliminary step in the investigation process of the alleged anti-competitive practices and do not prejudge the result of the investigation or the guilt of the entities.” However, if the decision is made in favor of the independent operators, the list of oil companies investigated could face a Penalty of up to 10% of the total business volume in the year immediately prior to the imposition of the fine.
At the moment, there are less than two weeks left until the bonus of 20 cents per liter of fuel ends without the Government has still ruled on its possible expansion or its total suppression. Some voices say that it is better to abandon said bonus and refer these subsidies to certain groups and sectors most affected. Be that as it may, if the CNMC ends up sanctioning these three oil companies, it will be a more than bitter Christmas for them.
