Turkmen gasoline rated world cheapest

    As Washington Profile Information and Analytical Agency reports, GTZ international rating company has published comparative prices for automobile fuel in 171 countries of the world. According to it, the cheapest gasoline is sold in Turkmenistan and the most expensive one can be bought in Eritrea. The Eritrean gasoline's price is 95 times more expensive than the Turkmen's.

   In 14 states the retail price for gasoline is less than the world price for oil (comparison data is taken as of November 2006; one liter of crude oil cost $ 0.38 at that time). It is possible due to considerable state subsidies. Turkmenistan (2 US cents per liter), Venezuela (3 US cents), Iran (9 cents), Lybia (13 cents) and Saudi Arabia (16 cents) are out of competition. Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Yemen, Oman, Algiers, Brunei and United Arab Emirates also sell gasoline at very cheap prices.

   The second group of states (10 countries) also subsidizes gasoline prices, though to less extent. They are Azerbaijan (46 cents per liter), Trinidad and Tobago (43 cents), Ecuador, Angola, Nigeria, Malaysia, Bolivia, Indonesia, Syria and Argentina (62 cents).

   According to the publication, the overwhelming majority of countries impose taxes on gasoline sold at retail prices. In the USA, gasoline costs 63 cents, Kyrgyzstan - 64 cents, China - 69, Kazakhstan - 70, North Korea - 71 (in neighboring South Korea - 165), Russia - 77, Belarus - 79, Tajikistan - 80, Ukraine - 81, Canada - 85, Uzbekistan - 85, Georgia - 86, Australia - 93, Armenia - 96, Moldova - 97, Pakistan - 101, Lithuania - 108, Japan - 109, Spain - 115, Latvia - 120, Estonia - 123, Brazil and Romania - 126.

   In 29 states and territories the gasoline price includes extremely high taxes. As a result, in Poland it costs 139 cents per liter, Austria - 132, Sweden - 146, Israel - 146 (it is noteworthy, in Palestine gasoline costs much less - 129 cents per liter), France - 148, Germany and Finland - 155. The most expensive gasoline is sold in Eritrea (190 cents), Turkey (188) and Iceland (186).

  The analysis of prices shows that Iran subsidizes 38% of the cost, Venezuela - 28%, Egypt - 25%, Saudi Arabia - 10%. In the US, on the contrary, the retail price of gasoline includes 3% of tax, Germany - 5%, Great Britain - 6%, Russia - 8%, Brazil - 13%, and Japan - 15%.

  As a result, refueling of a car (Honda Civic of 2007 was taken as a sample) in Turkmenistan will cost US$ 1.06, Iran - $ 4.49, Saudi Arabia - $ 8.05, USA - $ 31.42, China - $ 34.45, Russia - $ 38.41, Spain - $ 57.42, France - $ 73.92, Great Britain - $ 81.44, Turkey - $ 93.98.

   Anyway, the average world price for gasoline has grown by 238% since 2000. Only few states maintain retail prices for the fuel at the initial level. Venezuela is leading the list, as the price has not gone up but become cheaper.