Tbilisi, Georgia, Jan. 30
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili accused the oil companies operating in the country of violating the competition law.
PM Garibashvili was addressing a government meeting on Jan. 29.
"Everyone knows that in recent times the prices of oil fell sharply in the world," the PM said, adding that judging from the current tendency, the oil prices will continue to fall.
"On this basis, everyone in our country is interested in to what extent the decrease in the prices of oil products in Georgia corresponds to this," he said.
The prime minister said the competition agency of Georgia is examining the market of oil products.
"About a month ago, I made a statement on the matter and instructed the agency to study in details this issue. At the moment it works in this direction," said Garibashvili.
He noted that there are already the first results of this work.
"In the second half of 2014, the world oil prices fell by almost 60 percent," he said. "This should, of course, accordingly impact the Georgian market in one or two months."
"Unfortunately, this didn't happen, and our public has every reason to be dissatisfied. Apparently, the operating expenses of oil companies haven't grown, while the world oil prices fell down," the PM said, adding, "Accordingly, it is not clear why this is not enough reflected on the Georgian market."
Garibashvili said, in this situation, the oil companies reduce fuel prices slightly, and in any case, clearly not adequately to the global tendency.
In mid-December 2014, the prime minister pointed out the need to study the situation in the fuel market of the country.
The reason for this was the public indignation over the fact that world oil prices declined on average by 60 percent while fuel in Georgia fell in price by no more than 25-30 percent.
Edited by SI