Moroccan Gas Station Owners Protest Illegal Fuel Sales Amid Rising Prices

This unfair competition penalizes service station owners, who are subject to taxes and duties. According to L’Économiste, this situation should concern the public authorities, as it represents "a huge shortfall in terms of tax revenue for the Treasury and local authorities".

"The existence of these clandestine depots penalizes the neighboring service stations since they sell the fuels directly to consumers. These depots also constitute risks to the safety of residents and the environment," recalls the daily, which announces the upcoming launch of a study to assess the losses suffered by operators, both due to the natural characteristics of petroleum products and the cheating of certain carriers.

This investigation should also determine the actual volume of the parallel circuit, since some service stations are supplied from the parallel market which offers "a higher margin than that granted by the oil companies, which varies between 0.28 and 0.54 dirhams per liter".