Royal Dutch Shell Plc  .com Rotating Header Image

ABC.net: Major suppliers fixing petrol prices: NRMA ‘evidence’

abc.net oz

Price-fixing claims: The NRMA says Caltex, Shell, Mobil and BP are profiteering. (Getty Images: Ian Waldie)

Monday 3 September 2007

The New South Wales motoring body, the NRMA, says it has proof oil companies are inflating petrol prices.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is starting its public hearings into petrol prices in Sydney today.

The NRMA president, Alan Evans, says he will tell the inquiry he has evidence the major four fuel suppliers – Caltex, Shell, Mobil and BP – are profiteering.

“We’ve been tracking the price of fuel at the bowser compared to the price of Tapis crude, both before the announcement by the Treasurer of the ACCC inquiry,” he said.

“What we found is that whilst the price of crude had gone up, the price at the bowser came down after the announcement, which to us, demonstrates that when oil companies – when someone is looking over their shoulder – do reduce their prices.

“The anecdotes are now turned into reality and we’ve got the proof that oil companies, when someone is looking over their shoulder, keeping a very close eye on them, will behave and give motorists a fairer deal at the bowsers.

“The moment someone stops looking at them and they think they’ve got a free go, away they go and start ripping motorists off again.”

Mr Evans says the Australian petrol market is too concentrated.

“We don’t have a dynamic a market as they have in other countries in Europe and North America and therefore, it’s something we have to look at,” he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/03/2021931.htm

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comment Rules

  • Please show respect to the opinions of others no matter how seemingly far-fetched.
  • Abusive, foul language, and/or divisive comments may be deleted without notice.
  • Each blog member is allowed limited comments, as displayed above the comment box.
  • Comments must be limited to the number of words displayed above the comment box.
  • Please limit one comment after any comment posted per post.