UOKiK will inspect fuel prices. We have Orlen’s answer
“We have launched an investigation. We want to explain this situation, analyze it. We are looking into this case, said the President of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny. At the same time, he noted that in the course of the proceedings, the office intends to clarify whether there is no coordination of price actions and abuse of a dominant position on the fuel market. UOKiK was about to ask for information and data that are the basis for shaping prices on the market. First of all, to the largest entities on the fuel market.
The decision of the head of UOKiK was triggered by PKN Orlen’s actions. At the end of 2022, the concern maintained increased prices despite falling oil prices and the strengthening zloty, which was confirmed on January 4 by the president of PKN Orlen.
— It is true that we had better margins for part of December — said Daniel Obajtek and explained that in this way the concern wanted to avoid a sharp increase in prices after the return of higher VAT and chaos at stations before Christmas.
See also: Price miracle at the distributor. How long have we overpaid for fuel? These charts show it
Orlen assures that it will cooperate with the controllers
We asked the concern for a comment on the initiation of the inspection by UOKiK. “In its decisions and actions, PKN Orlen is always guided by the applicable legal regulations, as well as care for the interests of customers and the stability of the fuel market. Therefore, we cooperate and will cooperate with the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and will provide all necessary information and explanations to the extent required” – assured us in response Orlen’s press office, noting that the company “cooperates with all authorities (…) within the appropriate competences of such authorities and applicable law”.
This is all the more important information that for several days the company from Płock has been defending itself against the control of another institution – the Supreme Audit Office, headed by Marian Banaś. — There is no legal basis for the Supreme Audit Office to control PKN Orlen – argued Daniel Obajtek on January 4 in response to reports that inspectors were not allowed in NIK to company.
Orlen again explains the increased prices
In a statement sent to us, the company also argues that the company’s pricing policy assumes avoiding “price shocks, including in particular those affecting consumers”. In this context, he recalls his actions after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
It should be recalled that PKN Orlen did not fully transfer the increase in fuel prices caused by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine (resulting from both commodity prices and the unfavorable exchange rate for the zloty) to customers, and thus limited the dynamic price increases caused by these factors. Return on January 1, 2023, the VAT rate to 23 percent. and the increase in the excise duty rate, Orlen translated into its wholesale prices, so that such a rapid change in retail prices would not hit customers overnight. It is in the interest of the country’s energy security and the stability of market supply to avoid rapid price changes at petrol stations, as such changes lead to irrational consumer behavior and thus destabilize the production and sales balance and logistics
– we read in the statement of the company.
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