VIC: Petrol price vigilance required from autoclubs and ACCC

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-1999
VIC: Petrol price vigilance required from autoclubs and ACCC

Victoria's peak motoring body says responsibility for monitoring petrol prices for possible
profiteering lies with Australia's autoclubs as well as with the national consumer watchdog.

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria says it would expect the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission to keep an eye on profiteering in Australia.

But RACV spokesman DAVID CUMMING says it's also up to autoclubs to highlight examples of
suspected profiteering.

To that end, he says, petrol prices at 100 outlets across Australia are monitored weekly,
with results coming in each Friday.

Analysis of last week's prices - which in all but one capital city shot above 80 cents a
litre - would take one to two weeks.

His comments follow NRMA president NICHOLAS WHITLAM's call for the competition watchdog to
investigate possible petrol profiteering.

But ACCC chairman Professor ALLAN FELS last week said there was virtually nothing that
could be done to rein in fuel prices.

State governments have called for a federal inquiry into petrol prices.

AAP RTV imc/rat

KEYWORD: PETROL RACV (MELBOURNE)

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