A look at the price boards at the petrol stations can really spoil the mood of drivers at the moment. Gasoline prices have been skyrocketing for days. According to the TCS, 2.24 Swiss francs had to be shelled out for a liter of unleaded 95 on Thursday. A liter of diesel cost CHF 2.30.
The prices make some people suspicious. Because the price of petrol and diesel is currently not rising and falling in step with the price of crude oil. Markus Gasser (53) runs a recycling center in Dagmersellen LU with a diesel filling station attached criticized opposite Blick the petrol rip-off: “The margin for the large petrol station operators is at least 25 centimes per liter. You can make a lot of money with that.” Refineries’ revenues and margins have also increased significantly in recent months.
Weko follows clues
The Competition Commission has also taken notice of these developments. “We keep getting tips from citizens that something can’t be right with the fuel prices,” says Frank Stüssi (50), deputy director of the Weko secretariat, when asked by Blick. Weko follows up on such information and constantly monitors the prices at the gas stations and the pricing in the mineral oil industry.
For example, when two neighboring gas stations charge the same prices. “In such cases, however, there does not have to be an agreement,” says Stüssi. Depending on the location, gas stations would generally react quickly to price adjustments by the competition. “Currently, however, we might not find any concrete evidence of illegal behavior such as price fixing,” he emphasizes.
Violations are subject to high fines
As soon as this were the case, ComCo might initiate a formal antitrust investigation. “Then we might conduct house searches, check computer data and interview people,” says Stüssi. If collusion can be proven during an investigation, the company faces a maximum fine of ten percent of the turnover from the last three years.
“Currently, however, everything looks as if the high prices are due to other causes, such as the shortage of supply,” emphasizes Stüssi.
