President of the Union of Gasoline Traders of Attica: "With the new tariffs, prices cannot be lower than 1.90 euros/liter"

The president of the Attica petrol station owners' union, Maria Ziaga, spoke in a television interview on Thursday morning (28/3) about rising fuel prices and the weakening of the sector in Northern Greece.

In particular, Maria Ziaga stated that the gasoline industry in Northern Greece “dies“, because the Greeks leave, go to Bulgaria and Turkey to buy cheap gasoline, since in these countries the special excise tax on fuel is low.

“There is no cheap fuel in Greece, when 60% of the price of fuel is a special consumption tax, and in addition to it there is VAT, a tax on top of a tax, that is absurd. How will we make ends meet?” – she asked.

“We have said many times that oil is a strategic commodity. Unfortunately, its price depends on the interests of large players, and everyone else pays for it. Therefore, while unpleasant international events are happening, the fuel that comes to us, the gas stations, is always becomes more expensive.

Already now I see that prices are rising, they have been rising over the past month, and it is quite natural that the price of 95 gasoline in Attica has reached 1.90 euros per liter. We change prices based on invoices. Each of us has a company from which we buy fuel. An invoice arrives showing that the company is purchasing fuel from one of the country's two refineries at a new price, and I am required by law to change the retail price, otherwise, at the risk of a fine, I must raise or lower the selling price.

Now, with the new tariffs, the price cannot be lower than 1.90 euros per liter, and when I see prices at 1.73 euros per liter, I go crazy. Doesn't the government see this? After all, if there is control over price excess, there should also be control over those who sell clearly below wholesale prices in the region. Is it possible that I buy at 1.80 and sell at 1.50? This is impossible, which means they are selling either contraband or counterfeit goods.

“We are calling for a cleanup of the industry and that is why the government has passed a law that will force any shop caught adulterating petrol or smuggling diesel fuel to close for up to two years.” – concluded Ms. Ziaga.

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