The owners of service stations resumed their requests to the Government on Monday, pointing out that 48.8% of the members of the National Chamber of Distributors of Petroleum Derivatives of Ecuador work at a loss, which leads them to announce measures such as support a peaceful sit-in on January 13 in front of the Barbasquillo Terminal, in Manta. The protest is organized by the Association of Fuel Distributors of Manabí (Asodigma).
This decision of the sector, as well as other announcements and requests were exposed from Quito. Earlier, Oswaldo Erazo, executive secretary of the Chamber, announced through a statement that the situation of the majority of fuel distributors is worrying, even more so when there have been events that have further affected the situation, according to the leader, who listed the orders of the sector that are repetitive.
After announcing a sit-in, gas stations demand the restitution of 5 cents in their profit margin and that they be invited to the dialogue table
Among these, he highlighted that the profit margin of service stations has been frozen for 20 years.
In a public pronouncement of the union, Ivo Rosero, president of the Chamber, indicated that -for example- in extra gasoline a margin of $0.16 per gallon must be shared with the marketer and with the carrier.
In addition, he regretted that the income of the sector is subject to political and not technical decisions.
“We are businessmen who have invested trusting that we are in an economy in which business can be done with transparent laws, but no, they are really political decisions, our income is directly related to political decisions, it should not be like that,” said the president of the National Chamber of Distributors of Petroleum Derivatives, who assured that some 600 stations are on the brink of bankruptcy.
He added that many owners have had to resort to bank financing to stay afloat, those who can; those that do not have resorted to financing with their own marketers.
Meanwhile, another request is that the additional 5 cents granted in October 2019 be restored, and which were eliminated after a few days due to the indigenous strike. He recalled that this adjustment was granted after a year and a half of conversations and technical analysis by the Chamber, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy at that time.
Gas stations proliferate side by side, with fewer regulatory restrictions and a low-return market
Erazo indicated that once that margin is restored, it must be percentageized like any other business. He added that another request is that the State take charge of fuel freight, as is the case in the province of Morona Santiago.
In addition, the presumptive VAT withholding percentages are reduced to 50% and the 100% VAT withholding by public entities is eliminated, “which seriously affects liquidity and since it is a double withholding that adds more than 100%, it is unconstitutional”.
The leader assured that the requests have already been exposed in several meetings with authorities, but to date they have not had a response to their requirements. “We held countless meetings with the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, ARC, SRI and we do not have a concrete answer,” lamented Erazo.
Meanwhile, the requests and measures adopted by the Chamber received the support of other unions such as the Guayas gas station owners association. Its president, Leonardo Alvarado, pointed out that the sector will continue to insist on its claims to the regime.
“This is the correct decision, we cannot give up, for this reason this week we continue to insist on our just claim to restore the five cents we have lost,” said Alvarado, who supports the symbolic takeover of the Barbasquillo terminal in Manta scheduled for this Friday, December 13. January. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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