Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman says that recent price hikes on the liquified petroleum gas (LPG) market in Ukraine is sabotage and instructed respective ministries, the national anti-trust agency, the State Fiscal Service and other government agencies to propose solutions and change the situation by September 15, according to the Ukrainian government' press service.
"I would like the agencies concerned to sort out the situation on LPG for automotive transportation. Such sharp price hikes have all signs of corruption. The market has been suffering. This is sabotage against Ukraine. We must protect the local consumer, ordinary citizens," he said.
Read alsoYatsenyuk: LNG terminal in Poland can significantly enhance Ukraine's energy independenceHe also instructed the ministries, the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU), the State Fiscal Service, and law-enforcement agencies to determine the reason for uncontrollable increases in prices and take measures to reduce the price of the fuel and encourage competition on the market.
"I am sorry that the Prime Minister should personally hold a meeting and intervene in the situation to sort it out, while we have special agencies, in particular the AMCU," he said.
According to the press service, the prime minister was informed that last year the number of traders supplying liquefied gas from Russia accounting for the largest share of LPG shipments decreased significantly. This led to a sharp increase in the price of fuel for cars against the backdrop of a lack of capacity to store gas in periods of peak consumption.
"This is the result of a monopoly. I demand Ukraine's Anti-Monopoly Committee take more decisive action and report on the number of traders who work on this market, the sources of supply, etc. I will present this information to Ukraine's president. But now it is necessary to reach consensus among market players. They must reduce prices in the coming weeks," Groysman said.