“We as YPFB have to ensure the supply of the domestic market not only in quantity but also in price, we have frozen prices and these prices will continue like this,” he said.
Roca told Bolivian television that the state-owned company will keep this indicator “so as not to affect the family basket of all Bolivians.”
He added that with a view to maintaining subsidized prices, strategies are being used to mitigate the cost of imported fuels, such as trying to divert their revenues from the west, which is much cheaper compared to arriving from the south-east is.
“Since 2022 and now 2023 – he described in his speech – we are boarding from the west (with fuel) and that will help to reduce this heavy expenditure somewhat through price increases.”
He reiterated that this diversification of fuel through different entry points helps mitigate cash spend to “continue to keep diesel and gasoline frozen.”
In this context and as part of its transparency policy, the state oil and gas company ordered a special audit of all fuel import contracting processes, Roca explained.
The planning manager reported that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has impacted world import prices of gasoline and diesel, increasing by as much as 77.7 percent.
In the specific case of Bolivia, import costs have risen by 83.8 percent.
He stressed that in this context a change in import logistics was made, prioritizing the western sector over the south-east, as the latter is up to five times more expensive.
In addition, a reduction in transport costs has been generated and in the current year the first import of fuels through pipelines to Bolivia has been carried out, a method that will be put into practice from the west from the middle of this year, concludes Roca.
mgt/jpm