The Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) approved a decrease in the price of fuels. The reduction corresponds to the extraordinary adjustment of March:
• ¢ 19 in diesel
• ¢ 16 in super gas
• and ¢ 15 in regular gasoline.
ARESEP informed that the approved change was less than that requested by the Costa Rican Petroleum Refinery (RECOPE) because the processing of the extraordinary adjustment of March occurred at the same time the processing of the ordinary study was presented by RECOPE.
Super gasoline (¢653 per liter) will now cost ¢642 per liter. The regular (¢624) will be at ¢614 per liter, and diesel (¢546) will now cost ¢531 per liter.
The study included the update of the operating margin, which is normally made once a year. The ordinary study contemplates the analysis of all expenses, costs and investments, related to the provision of the service.
Regarding the extraordinary adjustment, the reduction is explained by the decrease in international prices, as a result of a higher oil production. In addition, the increase in the exchange rate in recent days influenced the prices. In Costa Rica, fuel prices have a particular structure, composed of different factors:
• International price (exchange rate)
• + Tax
• + Freight and margin of service stations
• + RECOPE operating margin
• + Subsidies and canon.