Gas station owners threaten with blockade on distribution

The meeting between deputy Finance minister Yorgos Mavraganis, representatives of the Federation of Gas Sellers of Greece, the Panhellenic Federation of Gas Station Owners - Fuel Dealers and resellers of heating oil, exclusively held in order to find a solution to the equation of the excise duty on heating oil diesel fuel and reactions by the professionals of the sector, led eventually to a dead end.

 

The only conclusion was the possibility that gas sellers might not start distributing heating oil by Monday, which is the official start of the season of distributing the fuel on the market..

 

Station owners seek to meet this weekend with Finance minister Yannis Stournaras n order to find a solution.

 

Yesterday's meeting with Mavraganis was preceded by the filing in parliament of an amendment which from this Monday will equalize the excise duty on heating oil with that of diesel fuel to 330 euros per kiloliter. According to market estimates, this means that the oil price will range from 1.35 to 1.4 euros per liter.

 

Regarding the possibility of gas station owners not distributing heating oil from Monday, market sources reported that demand will be limited anyway because of the high price, the prevailing good weather, the widespread use of alternative heating sources, and teh fact that many consumers had the foresight to acquire heating oil since April - May.

 

During the meeting with Mavraganis, representatives of station operators also sought to maintain the institutional framework for breaches of the “Hephaestus” system, but again without any progress.