The fuel theater: Profeco raises the curtain against gas stations
Profeco has just turned on the spotlights. Starting this Monday, its owner, César Iván Escalante Ruiz, announced expanded and more aggressive surveillance of the price of gasoline throughout the country. The objective is clear: to bring out service stations that are overcharging, without a script to justify it.
“We have the instruction from today to carry out much broader monitoring… to continue reviewing and evidently show the service stations that they are charging very high prices,” Escalante declared.
The plot is simple. Pemex’s reference prices have remained stable. If the raw material does not increase, with what argument does the final product increase? For the authorities, many gas stations do not have a credible script. Its increase is pure theater, and a very costly one for people’s pockets.
A map to avoid getting lost on the price road
While presenting the weekly report “Who’s who in prices”, the official made it clear that this is part of a national strategy. It is not just an announcement, it is a concrete move to protect the family economy. Last week, the national average price was 23.70 pesos per liter.
But therein lies the drama. While a G500 station in Villahermosa offered a fair price of 23.26 pesos, others such as an Oxxogas in Aguascalientes sold a liter at 24.99 pesos. A profit margin that Profeco qualifies as unjustified, bordering on 2.85 extra pesos for each liter you add.
The good news is that consumers are no longer going blind. Profeco has a virtual map on its website where you can consult prices in almost real time. It’s like having the complete script before you get to the bomb.
My father always said that politics is lived in line at the gas station. Today, that line could be a little less agonizing if this monitoring lives up to its promise. The challenge now is to see if the villains of this work—the abusive gas stations—change their actions or if they prefer to continue charging premium admission for an ordinary performance.
