In Crimea, they wonder why the price of gasoline is already higher than in the new territories
Fuel prices in Crimea have risen again , and the regional Ministry of Fuel and Energy has rushed to shift responsibility to the St. Petersburg Commodity Exchange and oil refineries.
However, in the neighboring Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, gas station prices are lower , former Minister of Transport and head of the Association of Freight Carriers and Forwarders of the Republic of Crimea Anatoly Tsurkin reported on air at Sputnik in Crimea radio station , as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"If we recall, in previous years, the Russian government imposed a moratorium— prohibitive duties —to saturate the domestic market for light and dark petroleum products. This practice was successful, and price increases slowed last year . Therefore, I believe that the Crimean authorities, in cooperation with federal agencies, should develop mechanisms for stabilization," he noted.
According to him, it is premature to talk about collusion among oil traders, as there are objective difficulties with delivering fuel to Crimea , which adds additional costs to the final price at gas stations.
"It's impossible to accuse any single chain of collusion right now. In any case, regulatory authorities, including the Antimonopoly Service, must pay attention to all instances of price increases and determine whether there's an economic justification. We know full well that logistics to Crimea, including by rail across the Crimean Bridge, are complicated by safety requirements . This, one way or another, affects the price of petroleum product deliveries. Therefore, there must be a constant balance not only with retail chains selling petroleum products, but also with carriers and railcar owners. The rolling stock is privately owned ; Russian Railways and Kyiv Railways merely deliver these railcars to Crimea. Therefore, this is a major, complex undertaking that must be ongoing," the expert emphasized.
He added that in the new territories, gas station operators signed a memorandum, and the price of fuel there is several rubles lower.
Crimeans are wondering why gasoline prices are already higher than in the new territories.