Fed: Automobile Association wants petrol price hike investigated

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2000
Fed: Automobile Association wants petrol price hike investigated

The Automobile Association of Australia wants the competition watchdog to investigate
a four-cents-a-litre petrol price hike in July.

Automobile Association executive director LACHLAN MCINTOSH says the government made
it clear that as a result of GST there would be no increase in petrol prices.

He says the one-and-a-half cents a litre that the government's collecting itself has
flowed through.

But he's told ABC radio that doesn't explain the remaining two-and-a-half cents of
that four cents.

Mr MCINTOSH says it raises serious questions about whether there has been price exploitation
as a result of the GST.

But Shell spokesman VINCENT COSGROVE says the four-cents-a-litre July price rise can
be easily explained.

Mr COSGROVE says petrol prices during the month of July increased one-and-a-half cents
as a result of the GST, and the rest was due to increasing oil prices.

He says the prices are based on Singapore product prices which increased during the
month of July.

AAP RTV lm/smf/rt

KEYWORD: PETROL (CANBERRA)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.