Looking for a sustainable model for regulating the internal market of motor fuels
The crisis in the domestic motor fuel market in mid-2018 required the government to take many measures to stabilize the situation. The instruments used were both regulatory mechanisms, agreements on price containment and norms for the supply of oil products to the Russian market, and economic incentives, a damping surcharge to the refundable excise tax on crude oil, which began to operate from the beginning of 2019 together with the completion of the tax maneuver. Despite the decisions made, the situation in the domestic market worsened in January-February 2019. It was possible to avoid the rise in gas station prices and local deficits only thanks to the fulfillment of social obligations by the oil companies. It became obvious that there was a need to promptly refine existing instruments and develop a sustainable system for regulating the internal market for motor fuels. This article analyzes possible mechanisms for stabilizing the fuel market of the Russian Federation, “floating” excise tax, protective duties, supply quotas. As a result of the study, it was revealed that only instruments that create economic incentives for the development of the motor fuel market help stabilize the situation in the long term. Such a solution may be the transition to a floating excise tax.