Fuel continues to rise at a record pace

4 May 2018

How much gasoline will cost in the summer?

The topic of fuel prices, we spoke just two weeks ago, when the average price of gasoline exceeded 40 rubles. However, this is not the limit. According to fresh report Moscow fuel Association (MTA) at the end of April, growth in the cost of fuel was a record for the whole of 2018.

In total for April, the average price of AI-92 gasoline soared by 1.25 rubles per liter. A large part of the rise in price occurred in the last week of the month, when the cost jumped by 70 cents. A liter of gasoline AI-95 for April rose by 1.23 per ruble, to 43.07.

According to the MTA, with the beginning of 2018, the selling prices of AI-92 increased by 1.32 rubles per liter, AI-95 — 1.28 ruble. Thus, almost the entire increase was recorded in April. While about 56% of the April price hike recorded in the last week. Here's another interesting fact: since February, and before the presidential elections (they were held on 18 March), prices at the gas station was frozen, and in some weeks even declined slightly (by 1 to 3 cents per liter).

A key reason for the growth of the retail cost are increasing excise taxes on fuel. However, in 2018, they rise twice: January 1 and July 1. Thus, this factor can hardly be considered important in the current price rally.

Representatives of the Federal Antimonopoly service said that at the moment wasn't brought no antitrust case in the growth of prices for Moscow gas stations. While the Ministry promised to take measures to reduce them. a "We think of the reduction in excise duties, primarily because excise taxes in recent years were the main reason causing the growth" — said the head of the service Igor Artemyev, speaking at the Board service in the Crimea on 25 April.

The other likely cause would be a decrease in sales volume on the exchange due to the reduction proposals. About it told the Vice-President of the Russian fuel Union, the General Director of "Ufa-oil" Rinat Fattakhov. According to him, at the St. Petersburg international commodity exchange sold 15 thousand tons of gasoline per day instead of the required 50 thousand tons. The wholesale price in recent years has increased substantially: since February of gasoline AI-95 increased by 10 000 rubles per ton, breaking the psychological mark of 50,000. a "Typically, retail gasoline prices catch up with wholesale within one to two months, because the owners of gas stations should pay their costs" — said Fattakhov.