Source: Secretaria da Fazenda - SP - São Paulo / SP - 24/03/2010

The fuels sold at the 8.500 service stations in the state of São Paulo are among the most watched and controlled in the country. According to the balance of the Secretariat of Finance, in five years of the De Olho na Bomba operation, 10.794 inspection actions were carried out and all gas stations in operation in the state were visited at least once during this period.

 

The intense pace of inspection reduced the rate of non-conformity found in the alcohol and gasoline samples collected during operations by almost 90%. That is, if in 2004, for every 100 gas stations, 38 sold adulterated fuel, today the ratio is 3 to 100. More than 750 gas stations had their operating licenses revoked for the sale of adulterated products and the owners are prevented from exercising their function. in this business over the next five years. These data show how safer it is to supply the car in São Paulo and confirm the efficiency of the operation.

 

See here a graph of the fall in fraud in recent years.

 

The farm is now carrying out a new sweep. It returned to 27% of the stations in the state, whose products were again collected and underwent a second battery of tests. “An establishment may have been visited by tax agents two or three times”, explains the assistant director of the Tax Administration, Sidney Sanchez. It is estimated that by the end of the year 64% of posts will be revisited. “The goal of the operation is to ensure that drivers who travel through São Paulo can supply their vehicles with the purest fuels in the country,” he says.

 

The operations are constant and do not have fixed dates. Every month, teams from the De Olho na Bomba operation visit 200 gas stations to check the quality of alcohol, gasoline and diesel oil. The 18 regional police stations of the Treasury develop a permanent inspection schedule. Consumer complaints contribute to the creation of the list of posts to be visited by the technicians of the Treasury.

 

Inspection

Upon arriving at the post to be inspected, technicians from the Finance Secretariat collect three samples that are sent for analysis by the University of Campinas (Unicamp). However, a preliminary test can be done at the same time and, if suspicion of adulteration is confirmed, the tank with the fuel in non-conformity and its respective pumps are sealed. After Unicamp's analysis process, the fraud was confirmed, the Treasury starts the process of revoking the state registration of the establishment and Procon-SP starts the process to decree the loss of fuel.

 

Fuel stations, distributors and retail resellers (TRR) are subject to inspection. In the event of an infraction, the stations are prevented from functioning and have sealed tanks containing fuel, in addition to their respective supply pumps. According to the law, the partners (individuals or legal entities) of the establishment are prevented from exercising the same line of activity for a period of five years, counting from the date of termination.

 

The citizen can consult the complete list of canceled gas stations on the website of the Secretariat of Finance (www.fazenda.sp.gov.br). Just access the option “Consultation of canceled stations”. To report a post suspected of selling adulterated fuel, the taxpayer can call the Secretariat's Ombudsman at (11) 3243-3676 and (11) 3243-3683 or send an email to ombudsman@fazenda.sp.gov.br.