Heba Press
The Competition Council has indicated that the sale prices of gasoline and gasoline at gas stations are not directly measured by the prices of the barrel of crude oil, but rather by the reference prices of refined products , known as “Platts prices” applied in international markets.
In its report on monitoring the implementation of commitments made by gasoline and wholesale gasoline distribution companies, the Council highlighted that the analysis of data for the second quarter of 2024 shows that this period was characterized by downward trends in the evolution of international prices of refined petroleum products, and relatively higher, compared to sales prices taking into account customs duties at the gas station, neither for gasoline nor even for ‘essence.
Thus, the transfer prices of gasoline and gasoline for the nine wholesale distribution companies concerned by the report of the Competition Council, during the second quarter of 2024, recorded levels almost similar to the cost of purchase.
The same source adds: “The actors intended to apply the total reductions recorded in the purchasing cost to the transfer price applied at the national level, since the average variations in the transfer price amount to minus 0.66 dirhams per liter for gasoline and less 0.33 dirhams per liter for gasoline. per liter for gasoline, which are almost similar reductions.” At the levels recorded in the purchase price, i.e. minus 0.71 dirhams per liter for gasoline and minus 0.21 dirhams per liter for gasoline.
He specified that the average purchase cost, used in the analysis, is linked to the purchase cost weighted by inventory variations, and includes the purchase price of imported refined products (including costs linked to fluctuations exchange rates) and all costs of transporting fuel to national countries. ports, such as shipping, insurance, unloading and storage costs, in addition to the domestic consumption tax and value added tax applied when importing gasoline and gasoline .
The calculated transfer prices represent the transfer prices applied by the nine companies in the service stations subject to self-management (without calculation of fees). The reasons for this choice are explained by the fact that most gasoline and gasoline sales (around 72%) are made at these service stations.
The aforementioned companies apply the transfer price at these stations, while the owners or managers of the fixed roaming stations determine the final sale price at the gas stations by applying the profit margin in installments.
It should be noted that the average purchase cost and the average market transfer price, applied by the aforementioned companies, were weighted according to their weight on the gasoline and import and distribution markets. gasoline.
Thus, the weighted average purchasing cost of the nine companies reached 9.9 dirhams per liter for gasoline in the second quarter of 2024, with a minimum of 9.49 dirhams per liter recorded during the second half of June and a maximum of 10.18 dirhams per liter registered. in the second half of April.
Concerning gasoline, the weighted average purchase cost was 11.25 dirhams per liter, with a minimum of 10.87 dirhams per liter and a maximum of 11.48 dirhams per liter. The average transfer price on the market reached 11.13 dirhams per liter for gasoline, and 13.04 dirhams per liter for gasoline.
In terms of trends, international gasoline prices, the cost of buying it and the price of losing it entered a downward trend during the remaining period, after registering a very slight increase between the first and second fortnight of April.
Thus, the purchasing cost decreased from 10.20 dirhams per liter to 9.49 dirhams per liter (a difference of 0.71 dirhams per liter) between the start and end of the quarter. While the transfer price decreased from 11.43 dirhams per liter to 10.77 dirhams per liter during the same period, a drop of 0.66 dirhams per liter.
As for gasoline, all three variables followed the same path as observed for gasoline, recording a relative increase in April and a downward trend for the remainder of the second quarter.
Thus, the purchase cost decreased from 11.08 dirhams per liter to 10.87 dirhams per liter (a difference of 0.21 dirhams per liter), and the transfer price decreased by 13.11 dirhams per liter at 12.78 dirhams per liter (a difference of 0.000 dirhams per liter). 33 dirhams per liter), between the start and end of the quarter.
In the second quarter of the current year, the market showed a downward trend in three variables, namely international refined gasoline and gasoline prices, purchasing costs and transfer prices, although to varying degrees.
Indeed, the international prices of refined gasoline and gasoline have recorded a proportional decline in purchasing costs, with a difference of 0.27 dirhams per liter for gasoline and 0.66 dirhams per liter for gasoline.
Note that the publication of this third report is part of the monitoring of the implementation of the commitments made by the nine companies active in the gasoline and gasoline market and affected by the conciliation agreements concluded with the Competition Council.
The number of commitments contained in the various decisions linked to this agreement reaches seven, including that linked to this report, which is to provide the Council, by each of the companies concerned, with a periodic report every three months, making it possible to monitor the evolution of the situation. activity of supply, storage and distribution of gasoline and gasoline.
