Economic Survey leaves no escape from fuel price hike after polls

Feb 1, 2022

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NEW DELHI: The Financial Survey 2021-22 has flagged rising oil costs and rupee trade price – each of which impression gas costs – with out giving any steerage on the necessity for additional discount in excise obligation.
Within the backdrop of world benchmark Brent breaching the $90/barrel mark, it’s secure to imagine pump worth revisions will resume as soon as the political expediency of state polls is over on March 10.
Referring to final November’s minimize in excise obligation on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre, respectively, the Survey stated it was carried out to deliver reduction to customers when oil costs spiked past $84 per barrel in October.
The Survey famous that the excise obligation minimize additionally prompted states to pare VAT, which prolonged the reduction for customers.
Concurrently, the Survey famous that crude costs have been rising in the previous few months and the greenback trade price was additionally displaying an upward development, “hovering round Rs 75 per USD which was additionally impacting the costs of petrol and diesel (costs)”.
However the survey is silent on the truth that the gas costs are on the similar stage as they had been on November 4 regardless that oil has risen by $10/barrel or so since then. When the excise obligation was minimize, oil was hovering round $80, petrol price greater than Rs 100 throughout the nation and diesel between Rs 80 and Rs 90 a litre.
Gas costs remained static since November 4 as a result of state-run gas retailers, which management 90% of the market, haven’t revised the costs underneath casual authorities diktat pushed by ballot issues.
Going by previous cases, there isn’t a escape from excessive gas costs as soon as state polls are over as tensions in West Asia and Ukraine are anticipated to maintain the oil market on the boil.



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