The credibility of the federal government’s list of fuel prices is in some doubt after it was revealed that several gas stations listed are not even operating.
On Monday, federal Energy Secretary Rocío Nahle García released the list of the highest and lowest prices offered by gas stations during the previous week, but at least five have been closed for over six months.
One station in México state was listed as selling magna fuel for 15.71 pesos per liter.
But it was shut down in 2017 after the National Gendarmerie and state police arrested seven people delivering illegal fuel. Neighbors said it never reopened.
Two gas stations in Puebla, one in the capital and the other in Cuyoaco, were also on the list but the first was closed in January last year, while the second one ceased operations in July when authorities suspected it was selling stolen fuel.
Two other stations listed, in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, are also closed.
Yesterday, President López Obrador blamed the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) for the imprecise information.
” . . . There may have been problems [updating the list], this will be corrected,” he said, explaining that the fuel prices report will be released every week.
He said in future the information would be cross-referenced with data gathered by the federal consumer protection agency Profeco “in order to be more precise.”
Source: Vanguardia (sp), El Sol de México (sp)
