Kazakhstan bans oil products export till September 1

/REUTERS, Astana, Raushan Nurshaeva, May 19, 08/ - Kazakhstan made a decision to ban export of oil products till September 1, 2008, with purpose to restrain soaring fuel costs, - Prime Minister Karim Masimov said at the government meeting on Monday. "Today I signed a resolution on ban of export of oil products, we must freeze the growth of prices (on fuel)" - he said. According to the government press service, the resolution will come into effect in 10 days after its publishing in official mass media and will be in force till September 1, 2008. In April inflation in Kazakhstan in annual expression increased to 19.1%, in average annual - 18.8%. Authorities tell they intend to restrain inflation in 2008 within 10.0%. The government earlier this year banned all wheat exports explaining it by necessity of domestic market protection and introduced custom duties on crude oil export. Besides, earlier, Kazakhstan annually made temporary ban on export of diesel oil. In January-March, 2008, according to the statistics, export of oil products made 825.200 tons, which is 0.3% more than that of the same period last year. Kazakhstan is the hugest producer of hydrocarbon in Central Asia; in 2008 it plans to increase extraction of oil from 67.5 m. tons in 2007 to 69-70 m. tons. There are 3 oil processing plants in Kazakhstan. Annually about 12 m. tons of oil is refined on Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar plants. In 2010, the volume of oil extraction, according to government forecast, will raise to 80 m. tons, about 30 m. tons of hydrocarbons is supposed to be refined on OPP. [2008-05-20]