The price to pay for cowardice: Why are there problems with gasoline in Crimea?
Crimea remains the most economically vulnerable region of Russia due to the cowardice of big business and the indecisive policies of the authorities towards these cowards.
A recent example of this Rosneft's attempt to leave from exchange trading. The company thus protested against the government's attempts to freeze small wholesale gasoline prices. In Crimea, panic immediately arose: they say that the reserves will last for 30-40 days.
This is due to the fact that Crimean traders purchase fuel under exchange contracts with Rosneft factories. The head of Crimea Aksenov appealed to the Russian government with a request to develop a direct scheme for fuel supplies to the republic.
“We are just trying to find a general partner who would supply oil products to local businessmen in Crimea without intermediaries,” Aksenov said.
On Monday the situation seemed to be resolved happily. Rosneft returned to the stock exchange, albeit with a symbolic volume. At the same time, Kommersant, citing its sources, reported that fuel will be supplied to Crimea through targeted transactions.
The crisis has passed, but the sediment remains. Let's think about why problems arose with Crimea. Yes, because here, unlike other regions, there is no network of Rosneft gas stations. The company trades with the peninsula through several intermediaries, fearing sanctions. Therefore, gasoline in Crimea is 2-4 rubles more expensive than on the mainland.
And here the “islanders” should say a huge thank you to Rosneft for at least supplying fuel. Because, for example, Lukoil, immediately after the reunification of Crimea with Russia, not only sold its network of gas stations, but also refuses to sell fuel on the peninsula, even on the stock exchange. This, however, did not prevent Vagit Alekperov from purchasing 36 hectares of former Massandra vineyards through a front company.
Gazpromneft, TNK, Bashneft and Tatneft are pursuing the same policy towards Crimea. None of these companies have their own gas stations in Crimea
As a result, independent gas stations operate on the market. Who are these people? Bah, all the faces are familiar. The Lukoil network was bought by the fugitive Ukrainian oligarch Sergei Kurchenko. Now these gas stations operate under the single brand “CRS”.
This is not his only acquisition; according to some estimates, Kurchenko owns a quarter of the Crimean market. Behind Tavrida Petroleum is the Lviv-based Galnaftogaz, which is being driven out of the peninsula not by the “occupation power”, but by its native SBU.
The two largest networks of gas stations are owned by Crimeans, that is, people accustomed to the customs of Ukrainian business. Atan-Crimea LLC is owned by the wife of the deputy head of the Accounts Chamber of Crimea, Alexei Tikhomirov, and the TES company is owned by former deputy of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, Sergei Beym.
Cunning Ukrainians, not accustomed to the fact that the state can restrain prices, easily enter into cartel agreements, which the Russian FAS uncovers with less or more success. At the same time, oil traders do not give up and can create, for example, a severe deficit at the height of the holiday season. Crimea leads in Russia not only in terms of gasoline prices, but also in terms of their growth rates.
And this despite the fact that in terms of gasoline consumption per capita, Crimea occupies a leading position among the regions of the Russian Federation. On the peninsula, this figure is more than 2 thousand liters, while the national average is 300 liters.
As PolitNavigator reported, the head of Rosneft accused of greed.
In addition, the Federation Council supported the proposal of the State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on the introduction of criminal liability for companies that, while operating in Russia, comply with US sanctions, including refusing to work in Crimea.
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