The fight against counterfeit gasoline will intensify

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has registered a bill that will reduce the volume of low-quality fuel. There are plans to introduce a control system for the circulation of oil, gas condensate and solvents.

Currently, there is a lot of gasoline in Ukraine that does not meet the requirements of the Technical Regulations. It is obtained as a result of processing raw gas condensate. Solvents such as bioethanol and methanol are used to increase the octane number of straight gasoline.

The volume of gas condensate on the Ukrainian market is about 70,000 tons per month. The same amount of low-quality fuel is obtained from it – 10,000 tons of diesel and 60,000 tons of gasoline. The counterfeit is sold for cash at gas stations. Excise duty and VAT, respectively, are not paid.

Legislators propose:

• to improve the fuel movement tracking system;
• introduce an excise tax on organic solvents and thinners;
• use the mechanism of tax bills;
• assign oil and gas condensate to the zero-rate excise goods group.

Time will tell whether such measures will help to reduce the counterfeiting of gasoline.