Kazakhstan, Astana, Sept. 29 / Trend , K.Konyrova/
The Kazakh Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will examine the issue of processing the Kazakh oil at the Russian and Chinese refineries in accordance with the scheme of tolling operations, the Agency for the Protection of Competition reported.
This decision was taken at a meeting of the Agency for the Protection of Competition (gas stations), where upon the order by the Prime Minister, the participants tackled the reasons of sudden price rise for fuel in the southern regions of Kazakhstan.
"When analyzing the situation, it was found that the dominant-entities did not increase fuel prices, price destabilization was caused by the presence of many intermediaries on the market," the agency reported.
Further, reasons for the volatile situation around the prices of fuel are the monopolization of the market of petroleum products and the deficit occurred in the absence of the ban on the fuel export abroad the country.
"During this period, quite a large volume of fuel has been exported, and fuel produced in Russia has not been imported into the country because of high prices. Currently processing volumes of oil have not reached a level that ensures the filling fuel market," the agency reported.
The Agency has launched an investigation into the coordinated activities of the filling station owners in the southern Kazakhstan.
The Agency noted some measures have been taken at the end of the meeting:
1) representatives of dominant-companies are tasked to submit necessary reports to the Agency on Regulation of Natural Monopolies (ARNM) in a short period of time to examine prices of their validity and necessity to increase them;
2) in addition, dominant-companies are tasked to take the necessary measures to stabilize the situation in the petroleum products market and ensure lower prices for petroleum products in the regions, primarily in the South Kazakhstan region;
3) the participants, taking into account the inventory of diesel fuel, suggested the desirability of lifting the ban on its export, but the Agriculture Ministry had objected and promised to provide reports on the need of diesel fuel needed before the end of harvest;
4) Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will examine the feasibility of refining the Kazakh oil at the Russian and Chinese refineries under the scheme of tolling operations.
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