Bolivia looks to curb fuel smuggling with help of armed forces

FILE PHOTO: A gasoline tank truck is seen at the petrol plant of Senkata, that normalizes fuel distribution in El Alto outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, November 23, 2019. REUTERS/David Mercado/File Photo

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's government has called on the armed forces to tighten border controls to curb the smuggling of state-subsidized fuels, a move it believes will save state coffers some $250 million per year.

Keeping fuel prices steady, currently 3.74 bolivianos ($0.5452) per liter for gasoline and 3.72 bolivianos per liter for diesel, cost Bolivia $1.7 billion last year alone, according to data from state oil firm YPFB.