Gas prices have been rising for two months, starting in April 2018. A sharp increase was noticed by experts immediately after the presidential election. It is possible that in Russia the scenario that was already implemented in 2012 was repeated. Then, before the presidential election, the government tried to contain a sharp jump in fuel prices for cars. This was done so as not to annoy the people once again. The reason for the jump in automotive fuel prices this year lies not only in compensation for losses of oil companies since the beginning of the year.
Growth dynamics
To answer the question why gas prices are rising, you need to study statistics. According to statistics from Rosstat, the average cost of a liter of gasoline in 2018 did not rise above 39.88 rubles in January and February. In March, a slight increase was recorded, and starting in April, the average price of gasoline rose immediately by 1.5 rubles. In May, growth continued, with the result that in the middle of the month Russian motorists had to pay 41 rubles 40 kopecks per liter of the 92nd. Two weeks before the end of spring, experts again recorded a sharp jump in fuel prices. The price of gasoline with an octane rating of 95 reached 45.5 rubles per liter in the capital of Russia.
Many motorists ask the question, why is gasoline more expensive again? After a heated discussion of the topic of a sharp increase in automotive fuel prices, the government promised to intervene. The FAS is actively checking gas stations and oil refining companies for collusion; deputies promise to reduce the gas tax in the very near future. Meanwhile, Dmitry Kozak, who is the deputy prime minister in the government of the Russian Federation, commenting on the current situation, advised the citizens of the country not to wait for the price drop. Perhaps they will remain at the same high level that is established today.
Excise taxes are planned to be reduced in stages. So, in the middle of summer they will decrease by 700 rubles, but it is now clear that the gasoline crisis in 2018 will significantly affect agriculture. The cost of food from the fields directly depends on fuel prices. Significant appreciation of other categories of consumer goods is expected, as their price includes transportation costs.
What is the reason for the increase
Oil workers and authorities, when answering the question why oil is getting cheaper and gas more expensive, allude to external factors. “Black gold” rises in price all over the world, because of this, prices in Russia also rise for it. If petroleum products become cheaper, then the price of automotive fuel in our country is still rushing up. Each time in the news programs they give quite logical arguments, one way or another justifying the high price of fuel for internal combustion engines.
This time, politicians attribute the price increase to high oil demand.
In 2018, excise taxes on gasoline inside the country were increased, and the government reduced duties on the sale of oil abroad. The president called this decision a "tax maneuver." It started back in 2015. According to the authorities, they plan to complete such an operation no earlier than 2019.
Such a policy looks very strange through the eyes of a Russian, because the authorities care more about oil exporters than about their own citizens living inside the country.
As world prices for black gold increased significantly, it became profitable for oil companies to export raw materials abroad. As a result of such a policy, there was a shortage of fuel for refueling cars on the domestic market.
Another reason for price increases is their containment at the beginning of the year.After the election, inflation played a role in raising the price of gasoline. Fuel producers and traders are trying to recover lost money faster.
Some experts believe that the increase is also associated with a seasonal increase in the price of oil products. Demand for fuel increases sharply with the start of sowing.
How to stop the gas crisis
Many residents of our country are wondering why gas prices are rising so quickly. How to stop them? Experts believe that if the state did not restrain the price of petroleum products, one liter of gasoline today would cost 10 rubles higher.
If their opinion is correct, then gas stations and oil refineries operate at a loss to themselves. Economists have calculated that the former lose 4 rubles from the sale of each liter of gasoline, and the latter - up to 6 rubles.
All motorists in Russia want to know why gas prices are rising in Russia. Businessmen do not have the right to raise prices, since they are closely monitored by the FAS. Violators of pricing policies face heavy fines.
The government is also trying to restrain prices in other ways. Since July 1, the cost of 1 ton of AI-95 for gas stations should decrease by 3 thousand rubles. Diesel will fall in price by 2 thousand per ton.
A decrease in excise taxes will result in the country's budget losing 140 billion rubles, but such a measure is necessary. However (according to financiers) these measures will not be enough to reduce or completely stop prices. The government can only stop the sharp increase in prices per liter of fuel at gas stations by such methods.
The Russians can only hope that the world oil price will decrease, because only after that the export of oil from the country will become less profitable.
Consequences of the fuel crisis
The high price of petroleum products in Russia hits the wallet of all categories of citizens, even those who do not have cars. That is why the question of why gasoline is getting more expensive in Russia leaves no one indifferent. Expensive gasoline and diesel fuel lead to higher prices for all food and other household goods, because most of them are delivered to stores by road.
The state needs to take bolder and more drastic measures so that economic indicators rush up, and the Central Bank could continue to lower interest rates on loans.
Who benefits from high prices
All vehicle owners in the country are interested in the question of why the price of gasoline is rising again. Who benefits from this? With all the desire to reduce the price of fuel within the country, this will not work, limiting itself only to lowering taxes. The situation can stabilize by itself in the second half of the summer if the world price of "black gold" falls below $ 70 per barrel.
The strangest thing in this situation is that the government was aware in advance of a sharp jump in oil prices. Economists not only knew about the impending crisis, but also thought out ways to deal with it in advance.
The government intends to allow a sharp jump in automotive fuel prices to reduce the possibility of tax evasion by fuel companies. They also wanted to increase oil exports, which would lead to an inflow of capital from abroad. Today we see that the Ministry of Finance has achieved its goal by completing the so-called tax maneuver. As a result of the government’s actions, domestic and foreign prices for combustible fuel have become equal.
Who proposed to increase exports
In order to correctly answer the question why gas prices are rising, you should know that the government was preparing for a significant rise in oil prices. The idea of reform has long been living in the minds of deputies. In addition, the IMF, the Gaidar Institute and the HSE Expert Center insisted on price equalization. The operation to increase oil exports was successfully carried out. Provided that high world oil prices are maintained, the trade in black gold becomes profitable not only for Russia, but also for the partner countries that need this raw material.However, in relation to the citizens of Russia, the adoption of such reforms can be called outright sabotage.
Now, any emergency measures of our government aimed at combating prices in Russia will be ineffective. Economists simply do not have tools to correct the situation.
Large oil companies operating in Russia offer much more drastic measures than lowering taxes on the sale of gasoline. Knowing full well what the collapse of the Russian economy could turn out to be, oil companies are proposing a complete ban on oil exports for some time. Experts believe that this will be sufficient to work out sound economic reforms.
Now the country is waiting for whether the government will decide to revise the tax maneuver, which has become the main cause of the gas crisis in Russia.
Pros and cons of increasing oil exports
Many residents of Russia do not understand why gas prices are rising. Why do this? An increase in oil product sales abroad will help replenish the country's empty budget by almost 1.6 trillion rubles. However, a sharp jump in prices for literally everything within the country will lead to hyperinflation, which the Central Bank will not be able to cope with. Financial mechanisms to combat the depreciation of the national currency may not be enough.
Crisis management methods
To answer the question why the price of gasoline rises sharply, one should know the methods of dealing with this phenomenon. To bring the Russian economy back to normal and prevent the emergence of a new gas crisis in the country, the domestic market should be protected from price spikes. To do this, the government should encourage oil refining in our country, and not sell it abroad. To stimulate this line of business, duties should be introduced specifically for the sale of oil and oil products abroad. This is how many developed countries of the world act to regulate domestic prices for various types of fuel.
Prices for diesel fuel and gasoline of various brands will significantly depend on the decision on the OPEC transaction, which will also discuss the possibility of changing the quota for the extraction of petroleum products. A decision by the participating countries will be made this summer. Mikhail Turukalov (general director of the Agency for Analytics of Commodity Markets) notes that the price of gas can both slow down its growth and increase significantly. It will depend on the decision made.
If the price of oil per barrel after the meeting of heads of state at OPEC is above $ 70, then our government will have to think about additional measures to regulate prices in the country.
Do you need a reduction in excise taxes
Residents of our country often ask the question, why are gas prices rising, and excise taxes on the sale of fuel inside the country are not reduced? Reducing taxes on the sale of petroleum products is highly undesirable for the government, because in this case the budget will lose additional income from the sale of oil. As a result of cuts in funding, the road fund will suffer. The fact is that funds for road repairs are allocated precisely from taxes on fuel for cars.