In Russia, it is planned to ban the sale of all types of non-automotive fuel at filling stations – including ship and furnace fuel. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the participation of Rosstandart, developed a draft government decree allowing, from January 1, 2021, the sale of only motor gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations. Izvestia got acquainted with the document.
As the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade explained to Izvestia, now in Russia there is no direct ban on the sale of marine and heating oil at gas stations. Retail trade rules in the Russian Federation are governed by a government decree of January 19, 1998, it becomes invalid on January 1, 2021.
Rosstandart told Izvestia that they support the initiative. Despite the fact that the cases of sale of marine fuel at gas stations are now less and less recorded, the problem still persists. For example, in the Vladimir region and in individual subjects of the Ural Federal District, the department noted.
Ivan Khomutov, General Director of the Petromarket IG, noted that in addition to marine fuel, there is a whole line of substitute types on the diesel market, which can be sold as counterfeit or under their own names: low-viscosity marine fuel, heating oil, gas condensate distillate, etc.
“Honest” surrogates are deliberately purchased by certain groups of end users instead of the regular fuel – diesel fuel of class 5, since they are satisfied not only with the lower price (a liter on average costs 35 rubles – Izvestia), but also with the consumer characteristics of these substitutes, ”explained Ivan Khomutov.
According to the results of state control in the first half of 2020, the fact of selling fuel at gas stations that does not comply with the regulations was established in 42 cases, Rosstandart told Izvestia. The total volume of counterfeit and non-conforming fuel for this period was 9%. A large proportion of violations at independent filling stations – 13%, at network – 3%. The total amount of fines imposed following the results of inspections was 18.2 million rubles.
Read more in the exclusive material of Izvestia:
No need for ships: gas stations will ban the sale of non-automotive fuel