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Fuel price cuts spark debate on controls

By Wang Yu (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-15 08:44

The recent 8-percent price cut by a joint venture fuel company, despite lasting just a day, triggered widespread concerns from the NPC and the CPPCC and rekindled the debate on whether oil price control should be eased in 皇冠体育app.

State-owned oil producer 皇冠体育app National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) responded to these concerns by cutting the price of its major oil products by up to 0.2 yuan inBeijing.

"The 8-percent price flexibility has almost been forgotten because of the pricemonopolyby national oil giants CNPC andSinopecGrassroots consumers will not benefit from national policies unless the price monopoly is shattered," said Feng Shiliang, a CPPCC National Committee member.

Total-Sinochem Fuels, a joint venture established by Total and Sinochem focusing on oil productsretail, dropped the retail price for gasoline by around 8 percent when it opened two new stations in Beijing recently.

NPC deputy Ling Yu had predicted the price cut would trigger widespread ripple effects for Sinopec and CNPC to follow suit. Petro皇冠体育app CNPC's listed arm and Sinopec, however, denied such a possibility yesterday.

"The price cut this time is just a normal promotion campaign by our Beijing branch, in line with the national policy. We have no unified plan yet to launch a nationwide price war," Zhang Anping, a press official with Petro皇冠体育app told 皇冠体育app Daily. CNPC's campaign will last a month in Beijing.

Zhang Zhiguo, a press official with Beijing-based Sinopec, said his company had no intention to follow suit. "CNPC's move is temporary, and we will not follow them. We will stick to our own marketing strategies."

It's a golden opportunity for CNPC to start a promotional campaign during the country's annual session of NPC and CPPCC, highlighting corporate social responsibility, said Han Xuegong, a CNPC analyst. "It's a positive move to pay something back to consumers. Moreover, a price drop can boost sales."