Branded filling stations as well as small- and middle-sized petrol stations across Georgia have decreased fuel prices by 30-40 tetri following the recent strengthening of the national currency and the reduction of international oil prices, with the trend expected to continue in September, the Head of the Union of Oil Products Importers, Vano Mtvralashvili, said on August 23.
“In small- and medium-sized filling stations, the most popular regular fuel costs GEL 3-3.05 (about $1.08). It is important that the price of diesel fuel in small- and medium-sized networks has fallen below the GEL 4 mark. As for branded filling stations, they have been actively reducing prices since the beginning of August. They have already reduced prices by 30-40 tetri on average”, Mtvralashvili said.
The representative of importer companies said the reduction of prices had started following the August 15 statement of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who said even though the price of fuel decreased in July and August, “there remains a feeling that the price decrease is not proportional to relevant factors”. Garibashvili also instructed the Georgian National Competition Agency to investigate the issue.
The Agency started inspection of domestic fuel prices on August 17 to study the competitive behaviour of large sellers in the Georgian market and its compatibility with the competition legislation. (Agenda/Business World Magazine)
