Gas Price Increase
Tonight Is Pure Tax On
Fuels
The price increase of
gasoline that takes
effect at midnight
tonight is not due to
international prices or
the exchange rate or
anything but an increase
of the tax on gasoline.
The "impuesto único" is
responsible for an
increase of ¢5 colones
for a litre of super and
regular gasolines and ¢3
colones for diesel.
At 12:01am Saturday, the
price of a litre of
gasoline jumps from ¢732
to ¢737 for super; from
¢721 to ¢726 for a litre
of regular; and, a litre
of diesel goes from ¢726
to ¢729.
Although the Autoridad
Reguladora de los
Servicios Públicos (Aresep)
has yet to approve a
decrease, it won't be
much, said Carolina
Mora, spokesperson for
the regulating
authority.
The decrease, once
approved, will be of
only ¢1 whole colon for
a litre of super; ¢5 for
regular; and, ¢3 for
diesel. The decrease
will likely take effect
by the middle of
September.
However, don't expect
that trend (decrease) to
continue given that the
price of crude on
international markets
has been decreasing, the
Aresep will be approving
next month and to take
effect in October, a
whopping increase to
allow the state refinery
- Recope - to catch up
on the lag time between
price increase approvals
and effect and the
changes in the exchange
rate.
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