随着廉价原油运抵印度炼油厂，汽油和柴油价格可能会下降

联邦石油和天然气部长 Hardeep Singh Puri 表示，零售汽油和柴油价格在不久的将来可能会有所下降。这种潜在的降价取决于价格较低的原油库存运抵印度炼油厂，而目前的炼油厂仍在处理价格较高的库存。

滞后效应：为什么燃料价格尚未下降

虽然国际原油价格已经回落，但 Puri 部长解释说，这些降价红利传导至终端消费者之间存在时间差。目前，石油营销公司 (OMCs) 正在消化以较高市场价格购买的现有原油库存。

“当以较低价格购买的原油运抵时，燃料价格有可能下降，”Puri 在 Sonbhadra 的一场新闻发布会上表示。这意味着，尽管全球市场出现了缓解迹象，但只有在处理并精炼完更新、更便宜的货运量后，国内加油站价格才会反映出这些趋势。

在全球波动中捍卫国内定价策略

在回应对通货膨胀和运输成本上升的担忧时，部长为政府的定价策略进行了辩护。他指出，尽管全球能源市场剧烈波动，且中东地区（特别是霍尔木兹海峡附近）地缘政治紧张，但印度仍设法将国内燃料价格的涨幅控制在相对合理的范围内。

Puri 强调了支持这一立场的几个关键因素：

  • 税收吸收： 通过在 2021 年 11 月、2022 年 5 月以及最近降低中央消费税，政府已为汽油和柴油每升承担了约 ₹10 的负担。
  • 比较稳定性： 他声称燃料价格的总涨幅仅限于约 ₹7.60，并断言与 2022 年俄乌冲突期间的价格水平相比，实际上并没有出现实质性的增长。
  • 全球基准： Puri 指出，在 193 个联合国成员国中，只有日本的石油价格涨幅低于印度。

石油营销公司面临的经济压力

The Minister also shed light on the financial strain currently faced by OMCs. Due to the gap between high-cost crude imports and regulated domestic selling prices, these companies are reportedly losing approximately ₹1,000 crore per day. Despite these losses, the government maintains that it is shielding consumers from the full brunt of global price spikes to prevent runaway inflation and logistics disruptions.

Regional Growth and India's Macroeconomic Outlook

Beyond energy, Puri highlighted the economic transformation in Uttar Pradesh and specifically the Sonbhadra district. He noted that Sonbhadra’s per capita income has surged from ₹43,000 in 2018 to approximately ₹1.2 lakh today. This regional growth mirrors the broader upward trajectory of the Indian economy, which he stated is steadily advancing toward becoming the world's third-largest economy.

Key Takeaways

  • Price Reduction Potential: Retail petrol and diesel prices may ease once refineries complete processing existing high-cost crude and switch to cheaper imports.
  • Government Intervention: The Centre has absorbed nearly ₹10 per litre in excise duties to shield Indian consumers from global energy market volatility.
  • OMC Financial Strain: Oil marketing companies are currently facing daily losses of around ₹1,000 crore due to the mismatch between import costs and domestic pricing.