In response to consumer complaints about inflated fuel prices, the Consumer Protection and Defense Institute (Procon-AC) conducted an inspection from March 10 to March 13 across 40 fuel stations in seven municipalities within the state of Acre. The operation revealed irregularities at 20 of these establishments, indicating significant issues in compliance with pricing regulations. This move highlights the rising concern among consumers regarding fuel affordability in the region.

Following these findings, the Public Ministry of Acre (MP-AC) announced on Thursday, March 19, that it is investigating these complaints further. As part of the inquiry, the MP-AC has requested pricing research conducted by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), focusing on price data from January to March in Rio Branco, along with monitoring conducted by Procon during the same period. This step signifies the seriousness with which authorities are tackling potential malpractice in the fuel retail sector.

Procon-AC's president, Alana Albuquerque, stated that the inspection covered 356 fuel pumps in cities such as Rio Branco, Senador Guiomard, Bujari, Tarauacá, Cruzeiro do Sul, Rodrigues Alves, and Mâncio Lima, with 14 pumps failing inspection, accounting for about 4% of the total assessed. Such a scrutiny is crucial for upholding consumer rights and ensuring that fair pricing is maintained in the midst of rising fuel costs, underlining the critical role of regulatory bodies in protecting consumers from exploitative pricing practices.