Regulatory authority seeks culprits for error in fuel-price calculation

After admitting they made a mistake in calculating fuel prices last month, officials from the Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP) opened an investigation of 15 employees from the Energy Administration.

The agency wants to determine if the employees are responsible for miscalculating estimated profit margins for fuel vendors, which prompted the reversal of a previous ₡4 decrease in gas prices, set just a few days earlier.

The error resulted not only in the elimination of the price decrease but also prompted a ₡5 increase in the per-liter price of fuel.

The group under investigation was responsible for conducting the price analysis and includes lawyers, economists, accountants, engineers and statisticians.

ARESEP spokeswoman Carolina Mora said that if any of the employees are found guilty, they would face sanctions including dissmisal, as specified by the internal rules of that agency.

Results of the investigation are expected by the end of the month.