Fuel consumption “has gone up”. Minister calls for savings

“ O consumption, both of diesel and gasoline, and of jet [fuel], compared to the homologous months of last year, has risen and has risen from 4 to 6%“, said Maria da Graça Carvalho, pointing out that the indicator is not bad, but surprises her.

The Minister of Environment spoke in Soure, in the district of Coimbra, during a visit to the intervention works that take place in the river Arunca, after the storms of the beginning of the year, integrated into the City Day, in which she received the Gold Medal.

To journalists, Maria da Graça Carvalho stressed that there has always been a saving of fuel consumption compared to other crises similar to what is currently being experienced, drawing attention to consumers who have sometimes had crises in the past and other countries that have even imposed measures to save fuel.

“ It is important to have this notion that there is also personal management, of each company and of each institution in saving energy in general and fuel in particular”, he said.

According to the minister, the government’s policy is to discount what it earns in VAT on petroleum products tax (ISP) and there is also strong support for vulnerable sectors and those that can spread that price to the rest of the economy, including agriculture, fisheries, public transport and goods and firemen, cautioning “healthy public accounts” and that help comes to those who need it.

“ We thought that general help would help those who need it and those who do not need it and, at this moment, we have to channel essentially to those who will need it, who are the most vulnerable and who are those who need the car every day to go to work ", sustained.

Maria da Graça Carvalho defended the use of public transport for those who can do it, although she acknowledges that there are situations in which it is not possible.

“ As far as possible, it is important that we have this awareness of using only for what is essential, because we are facing a good that is scarce and that we need to save”, he said.

To journalists, Maria da Graça Carvalho also assured that the government has guarded the national reserves of jet fuel, which are currently superior to those registered a year ago.

“We have more than 18% strategic reserves than last year at this time. We've guarded the reserves, anyway, it's uncertain what's ahead“, he noticed.

In addition to guarding the reserves, the State is also “intensifying as much as possible” relations with the supplier countries, said the governor, pointing out that “very soon” a visit is planned by the Algerian minister responsible for fuel consumption and that the elections in Brazil are expected to resume the connection after several visits.

“ They are two major suppliers of fossil fuels, together with Nigeria and the United States, and it is these four [with] countries that we have to have a very close relationship and ensure that there is special attention to the situation of our country,” he concluded.