“Heavy transport operators can no longer continue sustaining this situation. Poor fuel quality is causing extremely high financial losses across the sector. At this moment, we have several units already in poor condition,” Mercado lamented.
Héctor Mercado, president of the Bolivian Chamber of Transport (CBT), reported that low-quality diesel is allegedly being distributed in the country, causing mechanical failures and leaving several transport units in poor operating condition.
Mercado stated that the CBT sent a third consecutive letter to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and the Minister of Public Works requesting an urgent meeting, but has received no response to date.
The transport leader also questioned the Government’s explanation regarding possible issues with storage tanks.
This Tuesday, the Government stated that the previous state administration could bear responsibility for the poor-quality fuel and that residue left in storage tanks may have affected the blending of recently imported fuels.
“We do not understand how the minister made that statement,” Mercado said, emphasizing that the Government must guarantee fuel supply under proper conditions.
The transport representative warned that repair costs are extremely high and that the damage is far from minor: repairing a fuel injector can cost approximately Bs 35,000, and if a full replacement is required, expenses can exceed US$10,000.
For this reason, he stated that the Ministry of Hydrocarbons must assume responsibility for the damages and provide an immediate solution to the problem.
