Procon-RS tightens the net around gas stations.

Government of Rio Grande do Sul - The fuel price readjustment, recently announced by Petrobras, prompted the inspection of gas stations in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul by Procon/RS last week. The result verified was released this Tuesday (10) by the director of the agency, Cristiano Aquino: 70% of the establishments visited were practicing a value higher than the 4% proposed by the state-owned company and will be notified to justify the increase.

Procon/RS inspectors visited 40 gas stations in Porto Alegre. Of these, 28 showed price increases higher than the rate announced by Petrobras. The highest gasoline price found during the inspections was R$ 2,99 – 12 stations presented this price. The lowest price, R$ 2,79, was found in five inspected establishments.

The gas stations visited were determined from a list provided by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), taking into account all regions of the city and information about price increases reported by consumers.

"The State Consumer Protection Agency (Procon) defends market freedom, but understands that in this case a greater right, which is the consumer's right, was violated in two aspects. One is the lack of information, since some gas stations increased the price by up to 10%, including other costs beyond the advertised 4%. The other is the unjustified increase in the price of products and services, according to article 39 of the Consumer Protection Code," explained Aquino.

Establishments with price increases exceeding 4% may face administrative proceedings and be subject to fines if they fail to provide a satisfactory justification for the increase. According to the director of Procon-RS (the consumer protection agency of Rio Grande do Sul), inspections will continue in the interior of the state, and the agency continues to receive consumer complaints through the channels available on its website. www.procon.rs.gov.br.