Source: Diário do Pará Online - PA - HOME - 17/07/2009

Traveling by car during the summer requires a lot of care with the mechanical part of the vehicle, such as the engine, brakes, shock absorbers, among others. But, when taking the road, it is also necessary to guard against irregularities in an essential item for the functioning of the car: fuel. Along BR-316, it is inevitable not to notice the disparity in the price of a liter of gasoline, which can vary from R $ 2,75 to R $ 2,42.

 

In Belém, it is not difficult to find someone who prefers to supply in neighboring municipalities, such as Ananindeua, Marituba or Benevides, but care must be taken, as the gasoline purchased may not be in accordance with the rules established by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) or the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro), which supervises the operation of fuel pumps.

 

Just yesterday, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) and the ANP filed lawsuits against distributors, carriers and service stations that sold adulterated fuels in the State (see table)

 

 

Entrepreneurs will have to promote a recall disclosing in the press and in their establishments that sold irregular products, if the Federal Justice agrees with what was proposed in the lawsuits. The MPF and ANP requested that businessmen be forced to pay fines for the collective damages they caused.

 

INDEX

The president of the Union of Retail Trade in Petroleum Derivatives in the State of Pará (Sindepa) Mário Melo, says that the difference of R $ 0,15 in relation to the price that most of the gas stations already have and an indication that there may be some irregularity.

 

He explains that this irregularity can originate, from tax evasion to fuel adulteration. In addition, the fuel pump itself is often modified, causing the consumer to take less gasoline than he should. "Often, the consumer can buy 20 liters of gasoline, but take only 17", says the president of Sindepa.

“Usually, the further away from the capital, the higher the price, mainly due to transportation costs”, he explains. According to Melo, some stations even sell the fuel at the purchase price.

 

Marco Aurélio Nascimento, MPE's consumer protection prosecutor, states that there is a determination that obliges all these establishments to carry out the maintenance of their pumps with companies accredited by Inmetro. In Pará, there are only three duly authorized companies in this segment.

 

LOSSES

The main problem for consumers who, by chance, use adulterated fuel is that frequent consumption can cause problems in the vehicle, such as engine malfunction, increased fuel consumption, increased pollutant production, among others.

 

Sales consultant Bruno Vilhena stopped refueling at some gas stations after his car started to struggle. “Shortly after I refueled, the car started taking a long time to start and was losing power. In the end, I discovered that the gasoline was 'dirty' and this caused the electronic injection nozzle to clog, ”he says. (Diário do Pará)