In parallel with these quality assurances, YPFB is collaborating with the Association of Service Station Owners (ASOSUR) to optimize operational coordination, accelerate fuel dispatches, and streamline billing processes. Nelson Mendoza Torres, YPFB’s commercialization manager, reported improvements in district commercial teams’ relations with service station representatives to ensure transparency and prompt reporting of irregularities. The state firm also supports consumer services for household gas, providing emergency responses nationwide and expanding residential gas network installations to over 5.5 million users.
Significantly, under presidential decree 5517, Bolivia’s fuel import market has been liberalized, ending YPFB’s exclusive commercialization role and lifting diesel from controlled substances. The government cites structural economic challenges and previous management failings as reasons for introducing private sector participation to alleviate periodic shortages and stimulate productive sectors including mining and agriculture. While YPFB denies allegations of import overpricing, asserting competitive costs aligned with regional benchmarks (e.g., CIF diesel prices from Peru and Chile), criticism persists. The Ministry of Hydrocarbons asserts that this regulatory shift, coupled with removed subsidies and frozen fuel prices, will enhance supply resilience and foster a more competitive fuel market benefiting Bolivian consumers.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
