The State Duma of the Russian Federation proposed to introduce quotas for gasoline supplies to the domestic market and increase the share of fuel sales on the exchange from 13% to 20%. The newspaper reports on this “News”.
Lawmakers believe the measures will help prevent a significant increase in retail gasoline prices. Concerns about a price hike have emerged after gasoline prices on the exchange have risen by 12.2% since the beginning of July, according to data from the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange.
Pricing issues were discussed in the State Duma Council and the Ministry of Energy on July 29. Repair work at oil refineries, logistics problems and the participation of fuel companies in the purchasing-sales process were the main reasons for the price increase.
FAS also reported violations in the retail sale of fuel in some areas.
Last month, the Perm OFAS found that a subsidiary of Lukoil had violated the law on protecting competition due to rising fuel prices. In Tuva, a collusion between 10 companies on the oil products market was also revealed. The Tver OFAS issued a warning to the subsidiary of Surgutneftegaz due to signs of price discrimination against consumers.
According to the FAS, two fuel companies in the LPR received misleading warnings to buyers about the terms of sale, especially the prices of petroleum products.
The head of the Russian Fuel Union, Evgeny Arkusha, told the publication that retail gasoline prices in Russia have increased within inflation limits, but there are complaints about currency prices.
According to the expert, there is a systemic problem in pricing, caused by the discrepancy between the structure of gasoline production and consumption. In particular, demand for AI-95 gasoline is higher, but its production lags behind. This situation is also affected by sanctions that negatively affect the timing of repair work.
Arkusha stressed that priority should be given to transporting fuel by rail, as new rules on non-discriminatory access (NDA) to the Russian Railways infrastructure come into force in September. These rules may make it difficult for carriers to access this infrastructure in conditions of limited capacity.
According to the expert, a simple increase in the standard of selling fuel on the exchange is unlikely to have a significant effect. The ban on gasoline exports will certainly lead to market saturation and price stability, but it will only be a temporary measure, he noted.
Novak previously Recommended Oil workers will increase refinery utilization due to gasoline demand.