Gasoline Prices Keep
Rising, So Does The
Demand
Although the price of
gasoline keeps soaring,
Costa Ricans continue to
consume gasoline without
control.
The number of vehicles
on Costa Rican roads has
tripled in the last
decade, from 472.000
units in 1997 to 1
million in 2007.
The national refinery,
the Refinadora
Costarricense de
Petroleo SA (RECOPE),
says that in the first
five months of 2008
alone more than 1
million barrels were
consumed.
RECOPE says that the
national demand for
gasoline rose 5.21%
notwithstanding the rise
in prices approved by
the Autoridad Reguladora
de los Servicios
Públicos (ARESEP).
The latest round of
gasoline hikes took
effec this morning. On
Friday RECOPE is
expected to present to
the Aresep its latest
request for a price
hike, which will take
effect likely in July.
Alvaro Barrantes,
director of energy at
the Aresep, said that is
difficult to predict
future gasoline prices
as they have been
erratic lately, however,
the tendency for
consumption keeps
rising.
Barrantes added that
there has been a greater
demand for gasoline,
this is due to the
importation of new
vehicles although 65% of
all vehicles in the
country use the regular
gasoline.
The price of a litre of
super gasoline today is
set at ¢656; regular
¢644; and diesel ¢622.
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