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Motor fuel prices to be raised by 10 percent on December 3

 

The retail prices of gasoline and diesel fuel will be raised by about 10 percent on December 3, which would be the 11th increase in motor fuel prices in Belarus, a source at the Belarusian State Petrochemical Industry Concern (Belnaftakhim) told BelaPAN.

According to the source, 95 octane gasoline will increase in retail price by 11 percent from 5,500 to 6,100 rubels per liter, 92 octane gasoline by 11 percent from 5,150 to 5,700 rubels, Normal-80 gasoline by 10 percent from 4,900 to 5,400 rubels, and diesel fuel by 10 percent from 5,750 to 6,300 rubels.

The prices of motor fuels were expected to be increased on December 1, but Deputy Prime Minister Syarhey Rumas said on November 30 that the government was not planning to raise them on that date.
Mr. Rumas noted that on November 18, the government toughened restrictive measures aimed at decreasing motor fuel exports by individuals by issuing a directive that reduced the number of foreign trips by individuals in personal cars from once in five days to once in eight days. “But I cannot say this has drastically improved the situation,” Mr. Rumas said. The customs department daily reports long lines of vehicles at border crossings, he noted, linking this to the wide gap between fuel prices in Belarus and neighboring countries.

There can be only one solution to the problem – gradually increasing the prices to a level that would make it economically inexpedient to take fuel out of the country, Mr. Rumas said.

On November 10, the retail prices of gasoline and diesel fuel were raised by 3.5 and seven percent.

Motor fuel prices in Belarus were raised by five percent on March 3, 10 percent on March 31, and 20 percent on May 24.

After the prices were increased by 30 percent on the average on June 7, Alyaksandr Lukashenka directed that the most expensive motor fuel should be priced at no more than 4,500 rubels, and that the prices should be raised by two or three percent per three months “if necessary,” not by 30 percent at once.

As a result, on June 9, the prices were lowered by 13 to 22 percent, but they were raised by three percent on July 21, on August 20 and on September 14, by five percent on October 1, and by three to five percent on October 16.

Since the beginning of the year, 95 octane gasoline increased in price by 71 percent, 92 octane gasoline by 79 percent, and diesel fuel by 123 percent. // BelaPAN