Price Top of gasoline Thursdays – Trønder-Avisa

Mæland and Jensen goes petrol industry more closely.

The big petrol station companies met Wednesday for talks with Minister of Industry and Minister of Finance. One by one, companies were called in to explain himself about pricing and how competition works.

– It’s paradoxical that we are selling fuel with tiny-tiny margins, must be held accountable for a price level that we have very little impact, says Pål Heldaas, Director of Communications Statoil Fuel & amp; Retail said.

Zesty

The reason for the meeting was that the finance minister Siv Jensen (FRP) and Industry Minister Monica Mæland (H) would to the bottom of the question of whether the market works well enough.

Competition Authority called last week competition weak, and asked questions about gasoline stations have tacit agreements that allow the prices are higher than they should be.

– It is not possible to explain away that oil prices have fallen much in the past year, and we must try to find out why it was not reflected in lower pump prices, said Jensen when the meeting was over.

– Zero influence

The companies even refers to that purchase price for gasoline and crude oil prices are two different markets. While there currently is the pure bonanza in international refinery business, the purchase price soared, according to the industry. Petrol price in Norway is comprised of 60 percent taxes and 30 percent purchase.

– This means that 90 percent of petrol price companies have zero influence. We set prices in local price wars, but there is talk of an ear in margins on billions of liters, says Heldaas.

Pending Competition Authority

Jensen and Mæland says it’s too early to conclude when it comes on the market works well enough. During autumn the Competition Authority shall investigate the circumstances for. Only when their recommendations are present, the ministers see the need for action.

– I think that retailers are experiencing competition that big clients do not. Our job is to see whether legislation adequately addresses the consumers, says Mæland.

Jensen noted that companies had slightly varying explanations of price formation and competition, and that this is something they will look into. What differences were, she would not go into.

– Server on Thursday top

Last week struck Competition Authority stated that competition works for the poor. During the autumn they will have talks with companies privately to drill more in the reasons.

– We have analyzed the situation based on the gross margin as companies per liter of petrol. It has increased steadily over the past three years. We want to know what is the cause, says senior adviser Jan Petter Fedje.

From 2012 to 2014, the companies have gotten a gross increase of 40 cents per liter. Even getting ear increase amounts to large sums for companies when it comes to billions of gallons, points Fedje.

Consumers have become well acquainted with the petrol stations turn up the award Monday and an increasing number have become aware that there is a new price peak on Thursday.

– It seems that Thursday summit is something companies earn on. It is into the weekend, and many fill up the tank, says Fedje. Many have adapted to the station’s fluctuations beyond a week, but there are still many that fill just after the price peak.

– The new development margins. The increases and peaks are slightly higher than before. There is more difference between top and bottom, says Fedje.