Gas stations made an average of € 3.500 euros in profits during the month of May.

According to official data from the ministry of finance, the amount of fuel that passed through customs last month was around 53 million liters, allowing gas stations to make a maximum profit of 0.1 euros per liter, thus allowing for a maximum profit of € 3.500 euros for the total 1500 gas stations currently operating in our country.

With this kind of revenue, the majority of gas stations in our country would have shut down because they wouldn’t have been able to cover their basic costs like rent, utilities, or paying their staff.

Decisions made by the Transparency Board which regulates the price of oil on a weekly basis, have raised concerns of possible price manipulation from businesses and associations operating in the oil industry.

The Confindustria is asking to exempt oil traders from the Board’s decision-making process because they are in a clear conflict of interest. Confindustria is also casting doubts on the off chance that these businesses could be gaining profits from illegal contraband.

“Confindustria has concluded that the only ones who profit from the current system put in place by the Transparency Board are the state budget and oil companies.”

The latest price regulated by the Transparency Board for oil was 261 ALL per liter but many gas stations have kept prices lower than that, which proves that they are still able to cover their costs and make a profit with a lower price.

High oil prices brought down consumer spending by 20% in May, whereas many citizens have been driving to neighboring countries to fill up their tanks at a lower price range.