Ukraine managed to avoid fuel shortage – AMCU Head Kyrylenko
The volumes of potential supplies and the sources for fuel procurement were under threat of significant reduction. Only through the intervention of the President of Ukraine and the government was the country able to avoid a phenomenon even more threatening than rising prices, namely, a fuel shortage.
This was stated today during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada by the Head of the AMCU, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Censor.NET reports
No fuel shortage
"Overall, as of today, with the onset of the crisis, there is an increase in demand and a decrease in the supply of gasoline and diesel. Additionally, there is the factor of the rising actual cost of purchasing petroleum products and the forecast for further increases in production costs. The weakening of the national currency, increased costs of logistics services, and customs duties. All of the aforementioned objective factors have affected market participants approximately equally," he noted.
All Ukrainian gas station operators purchase fuel almost exclusively in European countries from the same manufacturers and traders. Currently, based on the data already received and analyzed, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine has not recorded evidence of collusion among market participants to raise prices, Kyrylenko stated.
"The petroleum product markets in our country are unregulated; pricing is free and market-based, I emphasize this as well. The market share of participants completely excludes their monopolization," said the head of the AMCU.
Kyrylenko added that despite the fact that fuel prices have risen in EU countries just as in Ukraine, none of their antimonopoly authorities have even decided to open a case.
"The investigation of competition law violations is not a tool for market regulation," Kyrylenko added.
As a reminder, fuel prices began to rise following an increase in global oil prices due to the war in Iran and Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global oil supplies previously passed.
No collusion detected in the fuel market
It is also recalled that Kyrylenko reported that the Antimonopoly Committee found no confirmation of collusion between fuel market participants regarding price increases at gas stations.
The day before, the head of the Antimonopoly Committee was invited to the Verkhovna Rada on April 8 to report on the situation with fuel prices and possible signs of collusion among gas station market participants. The corresponding decision was supported by 157 people's deputies on April 7.
