汽油和柴油价格会下降吗？部长 Puri 暗示将迎来缓解
联邦石油和天然气部长 Hardeep Singh Puri 表示，印度消费者可能很快就会看到汽油和柴油价格的下降。这种潜在的缓解取决于更便宜的原油库存抵达国内炼油厂，这可能会抵消近期由全球波动引起的价格上涨。
燃油价格下调的时间表
虽然对于降低燃油成本持乐观态度，但 Puri 部长澄清说，降价不会一夜之间发生。目前，石油营销公司 (OMCs) 正在处理以较高国际价格购买的原油库存。
部长解释说，只有当新的、价格较低的船运到达印度炼油商手中时，国际原油价格走软带来的好处才会反映在零售价格上。在这些特定库存被处理之前，全球廉价原油对加油站价格的影响将仍然有限。
在全球波动中捍卫国内定价
在回应对成本上升的担忧时，Puri 为政府的定价策略进行了辩护，并指出印度在维持燃油价格稳定方面比大多数国家做得更好。他强调，尽管存在重大的地缘政治紧张局势——特别是在霍尔木兹海峡附近——印度汽油和柴油价格的整体涨幅被限制在每升约 7.60 卢比左右。
为了减轻对公民的影响，部长指出，Modi 政府已经采取了几项战略干预措施：
- 消费税削减： 中央消费税已在 2021 年 11 月、2022 年 5 月以及最近进行了下调。
- 政府承担： 政府已为这两种燃料分别承担了每升约 10 卢比的负担，以保护消费者。
- 全球对比： Puri 声称，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财务压力
尽管做出了稳定消费者价格的努力，但该行业仍面临巨大压力。Puri 部长透露，OMCs 目前每天面临约 100 亿卢比的亏损。
This financial strain is a result of a "double whammy": the rising cost of crude oil due to Middle East tensions and the impact of a weaker rupee, which makes imports more expensive. Industry experts warn that these factors continue to squeeze OMC margins, even as the government attempts to prevent these costs from being passed entirely to the end consumer.
Economic Context: Beyond Energy
During his visit to Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, the Minister also touched upon broader economic growth. He noted that the district's per capita income has surged from Rs 43,000 in 2018 to approximately Rs 1.2 lakh today. This serves as a micro-reflection of India’s larger trajectory as it moves steadily toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy.
Key Takeaways
- Price Relief Contingent on Crude Arrival: Retail fuel prices may decrease once cheaper crude oil stocks currently in transit reach Indian refineries.
- Government Subsidy Impact: The government has absorbed nearly Rs 10 per litre in costs through excise duty cuts to minimize the impact of global volatility.
- OMC Financial Pressure: Oil marketing companies are facing significant daily losses of around Rs 1,000 crore due to high crude costs and currency fluctuations.