After the galloping rise at the beginning of this week, fuel prices will rise again on Monday due to instability in the Middle East. This time, gasoline should rise more than diesel.
Fuel prices are expected to rise again in Portugal from Monday. According to industry sources heard by , regular diesel and regular 95 gasoline should register a increase of 10.5 and 11 cents per liter, respectively. The estimate, however, may still undergo adjustments until the end of the day, when the final average is finalized.
With this update, the average price of simple diesel could come close to 1,922 euros per literwhile that of simple 95 gasoline should be close to the 1,886 euros. The calculations are based on values published by the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG).
Estimates from the National Association of Fuel Dealers point to a slightly different increase, with regular diesel rising about 10 cents per liter and 95 gasoline rising 10.3 cents.
The increase comes after a week already marked by significant increases in fuel prices. At the beginning of the week, diesel increased by 19 cents per liter, taking into account the tax discount applied by the government. Without the suspension of the tax, the increase would have been even greater, around 25 cents. Regular 95 gasoline increased by around 7 cents per liter, an amount that was not covered by the same tax discount mechanism as it was less than 10 cents.
According to official data, on Monday, March 9, the average price of regular diesel was R$1.817 per liter, while regular 95 gasoline cost, on average, R$1.776 per liter.
The pressure on prices occurs in a context of strong volatility in the international oil market. The worsening of the conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz caused a significant increase in crude oil priceswhich recently reached close to 120 dollars per barrel. This Friday, a barrel of Brent was trading at around 102 dollars.
ANAREC fears pump closures
The situation is also worrying the National Association of Fuel Dealers (ANAREC), which warns that a prolonged rise in prices threatens to lead to the closure of gas stations if there is a drop in demand. may reduce consumption and pose additional difficulties for some operators.
“If there is a crisis, there may be a decrease in supply on the market. Energy is the lifeblood of the economy. If this blood does not circulate or becomes too expensive, the economy ends up suffering”, says José Rodrigues, vice-president of ANAREC, to .
To combat the situation, ANAREC recommends the creation of an automatic tax neutrality mechanism that stops the increase in revenue whenever fuel prices rise and the VAT reduction on bottled LPG for the minimum rate of 6%.
