Cwhich was announced: After meeting on 7 April, the National Federation of Owners, Traders and Managers of Service Stations in Morocco (FNPCGS) on Monday 11 April called on all affiliated regional associations to start a national strike, in case the ministry guardianship does not meet their demands.
The FNPCGS also called on the department of Benali to open a dialogue with professionals in the sector in order to study the possible outcomes of this unprecedented situation, preserving the interest of the latter and helping them to cope with this unprecedented increase. prices.
Why does this matter? In the event of the government’s neglect of its claims, the Federation plans to mobilize more than 70% of service stations, through its 15 regional associations throughout the kingdom. “We are not targeting the interests of citizens with this strike but rather the government, which has adhered to silence in the face of our demands”explains a source from the FNPCGS.
The context : This strike call comes in protest against the unprecedented rise in fuel prices and the negligence of the supervisory ministry. In effect, “the Federation has written to the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, three times, calling on her to open a dialogue with professionals, in vain”confides to us the general secretary of the FNPCGS, Reda Nadifi.
The Federation has three major demands: the opening of dialogue with the government and the implementation of regulatory texts relating to the hydrocarbons law promulgated in 2016, under the Benkirane government, as well as exemption from the minimum tax (calculated on the basis of turnover, increasing when fuel prices rise, while the profit margin remains the same).
In addition, the owners, merchants and managers of service stations complain of the unprecedented surge in fuel prices, stating that their profit margins are stagnating, despite turnover. “The price of a fuel tanker has gone from 300,000 dirhams to 450,000 dirhams”adds Reda Nadifi.
The situation before: After the liberalization of the hydrocarbons market from 2015, and the promulgation in 2016 of Law No. 67-15 on hydrocarbons, the government had promised to release the regulatory texts related to this law, aimed at managing relations between the different industry players, including service station managers and fuel companies. Since then, these texts have still not seen the light of day, explains Nadifi.
For the Federation, this delay “unjustified” would be in favor of the corporations, despite the owners of the service stations. “Besides, the circumstances and conditions of the preparation and review of the law in 2015 were in favor of the fuel companies, but this was quickly caught up by the last two governments, which is no longer the case with the current Executive”explains the same source.
What is Law 67-15?
Judged as a dunce’s cap by the owners of service stations, Law 67-15 is the text that completely liberated and privatized the fuel market, in particular import, export, refining, recovery in refineries, storage and distribution of hydrocarbons.
Adopted by the Council of Government on October 29, 2015, Law 67-15 intervened to modify and supplement the Dahir relating to Law No. 1-72-255 on hydrocarbons.
For the Ministry of Energy and Mines (under the Abdelkader Amara era), this law is part of a framework of “trade liberalization that started in the 1990s” and intervenes following the end of the agreement between the State and the Moroccan limited company of the refining industry (SAMIR) in December 2007.
As one of the main shareholders in companies in the oil sector (SAMIR, Société Chérifienne des Pétroles, etc.), the State regulated the market and indirectly controlled the quality of refined hydrocarbons. From now on, the refining, import and distribution of these products have been entrusted to private operators.
According to presentation note of the law, the control of the quality of petroleum products and the guarantee of the availability of refined hydrocarbons or fuel natural gas in service or filling stations, have therefore been entrusted to the government authority responsible for energy ( currently, the department of Leila Benali).
What was said about it: Contacted by TelQuelthe supervisory ministry did not respond to our requests about the content of the Federation’s press release.
To know more : During the period between 2016 and 2020, oil distributors in Morocco have garnered 38.5 billion of dirhams, which has been qualified as anti-competitive practiceshaving raised many questions about the action of the Competition Council. Recently, fuel prices reached unprecedented levels, exceeding, for the first time, those of gasoline.