State concern Belneftekhim officially confirmed the information about gasoline and diesel fuel's price rise from March 3. The company reported that the price increase in the domestic market was caused by the oil price growth throughout the world, as well as by the increased excise rates on excisable petroleum products. According to the group, the efficiency of petroleum products in the domestic market has deteriorated significantly for these reasons.
So, the price of petrol Normal-80 has increased to Br2.4 thousand since March 3, petrol of A-92 grade — Br3 thousand, petrol AI-95 and AI-95-Euro — Br3.4 thousand and diesel fuel — Br2.85.
In addition to high fuel prices, the state concern informed about the suspension of biodiesel sales in accordance with the decision of the committee on energy imports at the Council of Ministers of Belarus. Belneftekhim explained this by the poor rape harvest. «In connection with the current anomalous agrometeorological conditions,» gross harvest of oilseed rape amounted to 374.3 thousand tons in the country against 610.8 thousand tons in 2009,» said the concern. In this regard, according to preliminary estimates of the experts, the rapeseed oil deficit for the production of technical supplements to the fuel will amount to more than 50% of demand.
According to Belneftekhim, oil quotations increased by 13.5% in January-February 2011, in May 2010 (when there was a recent increase in prices in the domestic market) — February 2011 — by 37%. Rate of excise duty on excisable petroleum products has been indexed by 8% since January 1, 2011.
