The Municipality of Yopal is promoting a change in tax laws that would allow it (and others) to levy a municipal industry and commerce tax on oil operator revenues. Currently they are exempt from the tax since they are already paying royalties based on their production.
A report issued last week by Colombia’s General Controller placing the responsibility for a drought earlier this year on the shoulders of the oil industry in Casanare has brought the issue back to the front pages, as critics call for greater restrictions on seismic exploration while oil authorities push back.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) says that contracts managed by the firm in the first half of 2014 reached CoP$10T (US$5.22B), putting it in line with contracting during 2013, when the NOC’s total contract pool valued COP$20B. The NOC said that 92% was performed with national suppliers.
To keep up with demand for asphalt destined for highway improvements, a firm has proposed a modernization of Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) aging Apiay Refinery in Meta, which the NOC had consider shuttering.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinMinas) says no changes will be made to the reference fuel price, pointing out that over the last year fuel prices have grown by less than 1% in the case of gasoline and 1.8% for diesel.
President Juan Manuel Santos named a new cabinet Monday evening which included several changes relevant to the oil industry, Amylkar Acosta steps down as the Minister of Mines and Energy and will be replaced by Tomás González.
2026, Hydrocarbons Colombia, All Rights Reserved.
