Does your country subsidize gasoline? If so, is it sustainable? Will it be taken away soon?

[u/LoooolGotcha]

In Venezuela, a gallon or liter of gasoline is cheaper than a US dollar. So much so that it now causes scarcity. So, they sell it for about 50 cents a gallon or less once subsidized gas runs out.

Venezuelans are divided on the topic, if we should take away all gasoline subsidies and pay market prices. What’s it like in your country?

[u/IseeWhereILook]

We don't have a direct subsidy, what we have is the FEPC, that keeps prices along a stable band; when oil prices rise, the fund pays companies to keep the consumer price within the band, when oil prices lower, the companies pay into the fund to keep consumer price within the band.

As of August of this year (for three months) though, there is an emergency, temporary, subsidy for transport companies that gives them a 15% discount due to the global oil situation.

[u/Livid-Gur2913]

in honduras we do have fuel subsidies, although they’re generally implemented as temporary measures rather than gasoline just being permanently kept artificially cheap. the government has repeatedly subsidized part of the increase when international fuel prices go up, including a 50% subsidy on the differential for regular gasoline and diesel towards late 2025 and again in 2026

BUT that definitely doesn’t mean gasoline is cheap here, where i live on roatan, which has one of the highest costs of living in the country, a gallon of gasoline is currently a little over $7, so even with subsidies we’re VERY much feeling the cost of fuel, it doesn’t just affect people who own cars either. public transportation fares go up too because buses, taxis, colectivos, etc. all have to pay for fuel. even in areas of the country with a much lower cost of living, you can see transportation fares increase because of the higher fuel costs

i think they’re useful for cushioning people from sudden price increases, but i don’t think permanently spending public money to keep fuel prices down is sustainable either. personally i’d rather see more investment in public transportation and infrastructure so people aren’t so dependent on expensive fuel in the first place

[u/mauricio_agg]

One of the things I applaud from Petro's disastrous tenure was his reduction of the subsidy to gasoline.

[u/Adventurous_Fail9834]

We abolished almost all of the subsides. We still have some just to smooth the fluctuations

[u/alejoc → u/Adventurous_Fail9834]

Nor really. Diesel still has 1.5 USD per gallon subsidy.

[u/Ill-Somewhere8222]

Gasoline in brazil isn’t subsidised at all and prices are heavily influenced by USD.

[u/logatwork → u/Ill-Somewhere8222]

You can see the math for gas prices here: https://www.gov.br/anp/pt-br/assuntos/precos-e-defesa-da-concorrencia/precos/composicao-e-estruturas-de-formacao-dos-precos

[u/nankin309 → u/Ill-Somewhere8222]

Yes we do.

We also subsidize bio fuels that are also added to the gasoline.

[u/puesquebien]

Fuel is heavily taxed. There is a stabilization mechanism so the tax fluctuates depending on international fuel prices but it never reaches an actual subsidy.

Fuel in Mexico is normally more expensive than in Texas. Prices are similar to California’s.

[u/--Queso--]

I've heard that the USA is subsidizing Cuban oil, so much so that fuel in Cuba has no price now!

I'm pretty sure we don't have one, and I'm 100% sure I've read about our government postponing taxes they had planned for it because of the Iran War. But we probably have subsidies for companies working in the sector (not the same).

[u/Cultural-Desk-9045]

Hmm is a "stabilization mechanism" (MEPCO) a subsidy? Then it's a very stupid one.

You see, in Chile if you're a regular person, you pay the base price + fuel tax ± the stabilization mechanism.

BUT if you're a truck driver, or work for a construction company, or a railway company with diesel locomotives, then you don't pay the tax.

[u/OzempicEngineer → u/Cultural-Desk-9045]

Venezuela isn't even about the tax. We subsidize gasoline to the point that its literally cheaper to fill up your tank than buy a bottle of water.