Following the publication of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) regarding the situation in the retail fuel market, the editorial board of Dzerkalo Tyzhnya (ZN.UA) reached out to us for a comment.
The AMCU reported that it is actively monitoring the state of competition in the fuel market and is prepared to launch investigations should signs of anti-competitive concerted actions be detected, particularly among large retail chains. At the same time, the AMCU emphasized that it lacks the authority to regulate trade margins on fuel, even when the spread between wholesale and retail prices exceeds 10 UAH per liter in some cases.
We emphasize that the key factor in restraining prices and maintaining competition in the retail fuel market is the presence of a large number of independent, small, and medium-sized operators (SMEs).
“Today, it is precisely the small and medium-sized segment that serves as a natural competitive safety valve. As long as independent gas stations remain in the market, consumers have a choice of where and at what price to refuel. When small operators are squeezed out, competition weakens, which inevitably leads to higher prices,” notes Tetyana Dumenkova, Deputy Head of FEBA.
According to our assessment, the problem lies not in a lack of price control itself, but in the progressive narrowing of the competitive field. This happens when regulatory, tax, and financial burdens are applied equally to market participants who are fundamentally different in terms of scale and resources.
We stress that formally identical rules do not always create equal conditions. For a large chain, the same requirements might simply be an element of an operational model; for a small business, they can represent a critical risk of losing liquidity or being forced to exit the market.
This is why the Association consistently advocates for a differentiated approach—one where the state and regulators evaluate the actual market effect and the impact on competition rather than just the formal symmetry of regulations.
“The goal of state policy should be a functioning competitive market, not just identical rules on paper. If the result of regulation is the displacement of small players and market concentration, it harms the consumer, regardless of how ‘symmetrical’ the regulations may appear,” emphasizes Tetyana Dumenkova.
The Fuel and Energy Business Association (FEBA) believes that preserving small and medium-sized businesses in the fuel market is a strategic condition for ensuring fuel accessibility for Ukrainians. This can only be achieved through differentiated rules for unequal market participants and a regulatory policy focused on real competitive outcomes rather than administrative margin regulation.
