Paraguay debates law for fuel cost transparency

Paraguayan legislators and various stakeholders are debating a bill aimed at increasing transparency in the cost structure of fuel prices sold to the public. The initiative seeks to address market asymmetries where international oil price increases are quickly passed on to local consumers, while price drops are not reflected with the same speed.

A working meeting was held in the Senate involving representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, PETROPAR, the National Competition Commission (CONACOM), SEDECO, and private sector representatives. Senator Luis Pettengill stated that the proposal does not intend to fix prices arbitrarily or restrict competition, but rather to establish a cost reference index in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to ensure predictability and transparency in hydrocarbon commercialization.