As you know, up in the sky they talk of nothing but the sea. But in the detention center, they talk of nothing but gasoline prices. After the so-called “elections,” they started rising at an incredible pace: in just two months, gasoline went up by more than 3 rubles (about $0.05) per liter—and that’s according to official statistics alone.
What’s going on? We’re told that global oil prices are rising. But here’s the paradox: when they fall, gasoline prices here somehow never seem to go down.
Maybe it’s taxes? Since the New Year, fuel excise taxes really have gone up—and not for just any reason, by the way, but to finance construction of the Crimean Bridge. The very bridge that Putin’s crony Rotenberg built with our money.
But excise taxes alone can’t explain such an abnormal increase. So what’s the real reason? Vladimir Milov, a former deputy energy minister, recorded a video about it.
The problem is monopoly control. Three quarters of oil production in Russia are now controlled by four companies—Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazprom Neft, and Surgutneftegas. Two of them are state-owned. Do you really think they aren’t pursuing a joint pricing policy, that they aren’t coordinating price hikes?
What’s happening with gasoline prices shows clear signs of cartel collusion. And it’s not just us saying that—the FAS (Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service) recently directly accused Rosneft of manipulating gasoline prices.
As long as our market remains monopolized, money from our pockets will keep going toward caviar dishes for Rosneft costing 83,000 rubles (about $1,300). We need full demonopolization of the oil industry—a competitive oil market. That is exactly what our economic program calls for. Watch the video—the charts are very telling.
We are now preparing a detailed complaint to the FAS about the actions of monopolists who are artificially driving up petroleum product prices. And we urge you not to stay on the sidelines. Share this video, come out to rallies against unjustified fuel price increases, and help us keep hammering these crooks—you can do that here.