The National Union of Petroleum and Gas has criticized a statement by Ahmed Rahou, the head of the Competition Council, who claimed that “oil refining has no impact on fuel prices”.
The Union considers this a flip-flop, an illogical turnaround from the Council’s earlier recommendation related to oil refining.
The Union’s critique, issued on June 14, 2023 in a communiqué, labels the Council’s statement as “an assault on the national oil refining industry” and a “capitulation to lobbies controlling the Moroccan oil energy market.”
It emphasized that this stance contradicts the council’s fundamental objectives of promoting competition.
In 2019, the Council had advised Morocco to regain control of oil refining industries when refining margins were around 5 dollars per barrel.
It also recommended a detailed economic and technical study in 2022 when refining margins jumped to 15 dollars.
The Moroccan Times.
