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Colombia diesel strike seen affecting public financial resources as Ecopetrol begins shutting off wells

Colombia's decision to reverse a diesel price hike that triggered a strike by truckers could negatively affect public finances, analysts stated on Thursday, as majority stateowned energy business Ecopetrol said it would begin turning off some operations in the middle of the discontent.

Financing Minister Ricardo Bonilla stated the government reversed its choice to increase the rate of diesel by 1,904 pesos (45 cents) per gallon, starting this month.

The government is now proposing increases of 200 pesos per month from September to December, while strike leaders are pushing for boosts of 100 pesos per month.

As protests - identified by roadblocks - continued into their 4th day, authorities in capital Bogota cleared some roads utilizing tear gas and tow trucks.

Diesel costs had been held at an average 9,065 pesos ($ 2.16) per gallon for practically five years, amidst federal government aids that Bonilla stated cost some 12 trillion pesos ($ 2.87. billion) annually.

This is most likely an indication that the federal government will wind up. yielding reasonably quickly and the strike might not last for a. long time, but there will be additional unfavorable. repercussions for the fiscal outlook, stated Andres Pardo, head of. Latam macro method at XP Investments.

Ecopetrol on Thursday stated it had actually begun shutting. production at a variety of its fields due to the strike, also. as battles on oil pipelines.

A shutdown in operations at Cano Sur will result in its oil. output falling by some 45,000 barrels each day, and it will likewise. shut down operations at 4 other fields.

With the increase in blockades, the recent terrorist. attacks against the Cano Limon-Covenas and Bicentenario. pipelines ... and the takeover of the Gibraltar gas plant. conditions for the production chain end up being more intricate, the. company said in a statement, adding fuel supply could be. interrupted.

Authorities and experts cautioned the strike threatens. scarcities of food and other goods, triggering an increase in. rates, which would cause higher-than-expected inflation.

Food inflation could speed up around 0.6%, stated Camilo. Pérez, director of economic research studies at bank Banco de Bogota, and. might lead to a nine-basis point boost to overall inflation. this month.

Experts stated a rise in inflation might press the central. bank to avoid accelerating the rate of further cuts to its. benchmark rate of interest.

The Central Bank's board of directors has cut its interest. rate by 50 basis points in its last 4 meetings to a current. level of 10.75%.

We would be inclined to believe that the reserve bank might. not speed up the rate of alleviating, although we still see the. board using another 50 basis point rate cut, Pardo said.

(source: Reuters)