Fuel stations owners complain about fuel deficiency in South Kazakhstan

Fueling stations of South Kazakhstan oblast have faced a deficit of fuel, Tengrinews.kz reports. Owners of the stations and main fuel suppliers are complaining about the deficiencies. South Kazakhstan oblast requires 50 thousand tons of fuel, whereas only 20 thousand tons have been supplied. This is not enough, owners of fueling stations and fuel suppliers complain. As per operator-consultant of AZK Almas Bakhtiyar Igambekov, there is a 60-percent fuel deficiency. “We got 720 tons for 26 fueling stations. Divided into 30 days this make less than one ton for one fueling station to sell. But if the station sells less than three tons, it is making losses,” the representative of the fueling network said. Currently AI-92 gasoline costs 96 tenge ($0.65) per a liter in Shymkent, while AI-80 gasoline costs 82-84 tenge ($0.57) per a liter. The cost of diesel fuel ranges from 78 to 80 tenge ($0.47-$0.54), but operators just do not have it. In the end of April deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Social Problems Kanat Berentayev said that there is no real basis for fuel crisis in Kazakhstan. On April 29 Kazakhstan Government signed a decree on extending the ban on fuel export until July 1, 2011.