| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Petrol Prices Not to Soar Above 10 Percent, Economic Development Ministry Forecasts
Consumer prices for petrol won’t go up above 10 percent this year, Interfax reported with reference to Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov. Petrol, cement and fertilizers are the basic inflation risks, the official specified.
For petrol, Belousov said, the risk was generated by past year’s steady growth in wholesale petroleum prices of refineries, while retail prices stepped up by no more than 10 percent. The gap is nothing else but inflation curtain aggravated by shortage of petrol in European Russia. It was triggered in the fall by the scheduled and simultaneous repair shutdown of nine refineries, the official explained.
They have got over the market shortage of petrol, but the “price pressure could be felt in retail all the same,” Belousov pointed out, adding that the prices grew 1.2 percent in 28 days of January. “Nevertheless, we are resolved to contain growth in retail prices within 10 percent this year,” the deputy minister said.
According to Belousov, “the main operational and tactical instrument is the launch of petroleum exchange. It has been created in terms of organization and the plans are to hold optional trading in February.
“The biggest oil companies are to emerge on the exchange. On the other hand, the state-controlled companies with the government’s ownership, which are buying petroleum, oil and lubricants, will appear as well. In addition, we count that the Federation constituents that are buying oil products for housing and communal services will show up there,” the official said.
www.kommersant.com
|
|
|
