Cost of living in Brazil: Petrobras (PETR4) announces a reduction in gas price, but the measure does not reach consumers; Vale (VALE3) and Petrobras (PETR3) pull Brazilian GDP down

The National Union of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Companies (Sindigás) reported that Petrobras will reduce the price of gas by up to 12% for residential consumption and up to 17% for corporate consumption. Brazilian refineries will practice the reduction in prices from today, August 5.

In Brazil, cooking gas (LPG) is usually sold in 13 kg canisters for residential use and in packages over 13 kg for business use. However, it is still unclear how the measure can cheapen cooking gas. The fall in the price for the end consumer depends on a number of factors, such as an infrastructure that allows the effective reduction of the gas price and that does not exist in Brazil.

According to the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea), Vale and Petrobras' performance in the first half of 2019 helped push Brazilian GDP down.

According to Ipea, the poor performance of the Brazilian extractive industry in the first half will decrease by 0.2 percentage point the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expansion of 2019, despite the expected improvement until the end of the year.

Paulo Guedes, Brazil's Economy Minister, promises to halve the price of gas

During a meeting of mayors nationwide, held yesterday in Brasilia, the Brazilian capital, Economy Minister Paulo Guedes promised that the current government will implement a plan called "cheap energy shock." According to him, by ending Petrobras' monopoly in this sector and encouraging competition, the price of gas will be halved.

At the same meeting, Guedes said he will reduce the number of taxes in the country and create a Single Federal Tax.

According to the National Union of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distributors (Sindigas), six companies account for almost 90% of the distribution market in Brazil. In the previous management of Petrobras, during the Michel Temer government, the sale of 90% of the shares of Nova Transportadora do Sudeste (NTS) and the sale of 49% of the subsidiary Gaspetro was completed.

Currently, Petrobras is responsible as a concessionaire for 75% of the gas produced and for 96% as an operator.

Brazil currently consumes about 100 million cubic meters of natural gas per day, only 4% of households in the country use piped gas. The other 96% is divided between wood stoves, gas canisters and other alternatives.