Source: Agência Senado - DF - 05/11/2009

The Commission for Infrastructure Services (CI) approved, on Thursday (05), a proposal that determines the mandatory annual inspection of fuel distribution companies. If the adulteration of the fuels marketed by a certain distribution company is verified, the proposal foresees that the inspection will extend to the entire network of resale stations served by it.

The project (PLS 291/09), presented by the Commission for Constitution, Justice and Citizenship (CCJ), was accepted in the substitute format presented by the rapporteur, Senator Francisco Dornelles (PP-RJ). In the main change made by the rapporteur, the annual inspection will be made only at the distributors and not at the resellers to the consumer, as provided for in the original text. Dornelles argues that the inspection of fuels is the responsibility of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), which does not have enough personnel to inspect the 37 gas stations in the country, even considering the possibility of agreements with states and municipalities.

He goes on to inform that the fuel distributors are in a much smaller number than the service stations and, as the adulteration of the fuels occurs, mainly, before the product reaches the pumps, the proposed inspection should contribute to reduce the cases of adulteration of fuels.

The matter goes on to be examined and voted on by the Environment, Consumer Protection and Inspection and Control Committee (CMA).