“God grant they do not imprison us, and will endure the fuel prices!”

"Belnaftahіm” suggests raising the price of petrol by 5% and the price of diesel oil – by 15% in the domestic market. The deputy Minister of Economy of Belarus Uladzimir Adashkevich informed “Interfax” about it. The decision may be taken this week. "Belnaftahіm" thinks it is necessary to raise the domestic price of mineral oil because the price of oil in the international market has increased. The price of mineral oil increased by 19.4% in 2007. Oil revolts took place in other countries including Germany, France, the USA, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. French fishermen managed to get a compensation for transporting fish from the government. The increase of fuel prices outweighed the presidential race in the USA.

What are Belarusians going to do to stop the price rise?

The director general of the Belarusian Association of international teamsters Alyaksandr Solashau said they were not going to lobby the decrease of fuel prices.

Solashau: We are an ordinary non-commercial civil organization. We have nothing to do with the issues you are talking about.
ERB: Your French colleagues sent a petition to the government because fuel prices were too high.
Solashau: Then you should better ask our French colleagues.
ERB: So, you are not going to write any petition, are you?
Solashau: No, we aren’t.

The director general of an influential automobile edition “Auto-Business - Weekly” Syarhei Mihailau did not manage to recall whether there was an influential automobile association in Belarus. “Besides us”, — he stressed. Indeed, it was “Auto-Business Weekly” that informed about “the live shield incident” and caused mass protests against the actions of the driving inspectorate. However, Mr. Mihailau does not see any sense in protesting against the petrol price rise: “The fuel price rise and an independent process following the oil price increase. It would probably be reasonable to protest against it and to demand that the state should lower the excise-duty and taxation for petrol. God grant they do not imprison us, and we will endure the oil prices”.

This is the main idea circulating among drivers and I confirmed it having searched automobile forums. One of them says:

A man: Prices are rising noticeably now. You have to save money and to calculate what is better – getting to your destination by car or by train.

A political scientist Vital Silitski told ERB the other day: “Why don’t noticeable social changes lead to political changes? It is because social changes distract people from politics. The situation of political changes is caused by a conflict situation. Our people try to avoid conflicts with the state in any possible way. And the state allows them to avoid conflicts”.

ERB asked the Ministry of Economy whether the prices of other goods and services would increase together with fuel prices.

A representative of the Ministry: Send us a written request and the accreditation of your mass media and we will answer you. However, petrol is not our business. There is a regulation on formation of prices and tariffs in the Republic of Belarus. It is a document of the Council of Ministers

So the Council of Ministers ought to answer whether transport services and products will become more expensive or not.

Photo by — "New Europe"