PORTUGAL

In Portugal we have one of the most expensive ( petrol/gas) final consumer price per litre in the world , here the word S P E C U L A T I O N rules, governments , and oil companies use daily to manipulate prices ... always in a upward trend.
For every litre of fuel a the petrol pump we pay 1,386€ ( REF. 95 octane ) 75% of the price is taxes ... ridicules but real... Every week we face a increase in the consumer price, no explanation is given, there is a total lack of respect between the government, oil companies and the population in general...,

The dollar's 11 percent slide last year against the euro helped boost oil prices because it made commodities cheaper for buyers outside the U.S, but in Portugal this is not the case...in fact the reverse has happened... prices have continued to go up...

The national company ( GALP ) is the major culprit in this situation, they are always the first to increase the price followed by the others, namelly BP,Repsol,SHELL and so on.. all these practice the same price.

How can the Government expect to control inflation by allowing these petrol companies to practice the same prices all the time... one increases the others follow.. EU hates any monopolistic activity that affects EU citizens, so why don't these companies suffer some kind of sanctions?..

Portugal will certainly end up in a recession this year if the petrol prices at the pumps continue as they are ... actually the recession has started since all energy , food, transports, health, in fact everything has increased beginning of 2008, the only workers that will continue to have reasonable wages are the state workers ( public servants ) all others face uncertainty or unemployment...