By not renewing fuel import permits to national entrepreneurs the Ministry of Energy (Later) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) are affecting the economic growth of Nuevo León (NL) and the country, he considered Beloved Villarreal González, director of the Nuevo León Energy Cluster.
He said that both secretariats remain unemployed, leaving pending the renewal of permits to the national private initiative, which does not happen with the permits for parastatals, since they are paying them, while the foreign firms, from the United States (EU), have permits for 20 years.
“National entrepreneurs must operate between 65 and 70 percent of the volume of fuel in Nuevo León and in terms of number of service stations they are 50-50 compared to foreigners and Pemex”, Explained the director of the Energy Cluster.
Villarreal González pointed out that since March of last year the Sener and CRE offices remain closed and import permits expire next March and to date there is no resolution.
“Given the contingency, the terms of the permits could be renewed so that the companies can continue operating. The companies have already made investments in storage and logistics and now there are no open offices, which generates a framework of uncertainty ”.
Lawyers and specialists from the energy sector accused yesterday that in the face of a permissive attitude from the Ministry of Energy (Sener), the most important oil companies and energy firms in the United States (EU) such as Exxon, Valero, Shell, Tesoro and Trafigura are practically staying with the business of importing fuels in Mexico, putting dozens of national companies at risk of disappearing.
They accused that these and other firms hold permits to bring fuel into the country for 20 years, most of which will be valid until 2038, while dozens of Mexican companies have expired authorizations or due to expire in these months, and the Sener now limited the licenses to a validity of one year, eliminating those of two decades.
Additionally, experts point out, as if that were not enough, since March 2020, the date on which the Covid-19 pandemic began, the Sener has kept its operation suspended and when it was expected to open on January 4, it again requested a extension to stay closed at least until March.
In this way, being an essential industry for the economy, Mexican companies that are dedicated to the import of gasoline and diesel are on the verge of disappearing in the face of various obstacles that the Sener is also putting at this critical time due to the pandemic, accused the lawyers and entrepreneurs in the energy sector.
Between the companies with expired permit In 2020 or that are about to expire in 2021 are: the regias Energéticos San Roberto, Kia Motors and Petrorack, as well as Energas, Gasopipas, Energéticos Lobo, Cargolive, JZ-Link, Nexoil, Combustibles y Refinados Burgos, Forza Combustibles, Distribuidora de Combustibles Karzo, Fuels Oil and Gas, Energética Carvel, BP and Estaciones, Glencore, to name a few.
Another impact on the sector occurred last December, when the Sener established new criteria for imports by reducing the validity of the permits from five to one year, requiring prior authorization to grant a new one.
The manager said that to give certainty to foreign firms they were granted 20-year permits, while to Nationals have to renew every year.
“Many of these national companies are looking for alternatives to the closure of offices and the non-granting of permits. In the end, the big problem is that Pemex does not have the capacity to generate refined products, gasoline, diesel, with national production, so they have to import, but it does not have the capacity to provide a logistical solution to the importation of fuel, so it is it opened the investment to import, storage and distribution logistics ”.
PREVENT FUEL WASTE
Villarreal González stressed that this problem can cause fuel shortages and greater market concentration for Pemex and foreign companies, and can also have an impact on increase in prices.
He explained that this affects at least 14 companies in Nuevo León, many of which have a national presence.
“The Sener should have a prior resolution to address this situation and give certainty to these companies. It is incredible that they promote investment and protect only foreign investment and let the national drift… ”.
He said that companies are analyzing the mechanisms to be able to continue operating, since failure to do so will have an impact on users, in addition to analyzing the legal measures they will take in this situation.
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