Social media users debated the high gasoline prices in Dagestan.

Gas station owners are inflating fuel prices because the authorities of Dagestan do not adequately control the fuel market, noted some users commenting on social media about the fuel price situation in the republic. Another part of the commentators stated that gasoline prices are high due to wholesalers.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on August 2, the "Dagtoplivo" association announced a decrease in exchange prices for petroleum products and stabilization of fuel supplies in Dagestan. Later, residents of the republic, commenting on this report from the association on social media noted that at Dagestani gas stations, the price of gasoline reaches 125 rubles per liter, which is even higher than it was before the fuel crisis.

The markup of gas station owners in Dagestan is more than half of the purchase price, stated one of the local residents. He recorded his opinion in a video, which was published on August 9 by the Instagram*-public makhachkala_.

"A close friend of mine from Tatarstan contacted me, he reached out to one of our major gas station owners and offered him 95-octane gasoline at a price of 82 rubles and 30 kopecks. To this, our gas station owner replied that with delivery to Dagestan, he buys it cheaper than this price. Can you imagine, a markup of 45 rubles, more than half," said the video author.

This post in the Instagram*-public makhachkala_ at 06:55 MSK on August 10 received 1968 likes and 134 comments. Some users criticized the authorities.

"Why has there been no order in Dagestan all my life?" asked osman______________________.

"Revoke licenses and ban the sale of gasoline," suggested user shinomontazh_pokraska_m_power.

"Everything depends on the head of the region," believes user 700_b.b..

"What kind of power do we have that cannot solve the elementary issue with gasoline? How long can our people endure? The question arises: maybe they are in cahoots with the gas stations? Otherwise, this mocking attitude towards their own people cannot be explained. Why can the authorities in Tatarstan solve these issues, in Chechnya they can, in Kabardino-Balkaria they can, but why does the power in Dagestan remain inactive? What are they busy with?" asked user elen__tour.

"Shame on all the deputies, the head of the republic, the government of Dagestan, for not being able to establish order in Dagestan," stated user arno_rinron.

Another part of the commentators believed that the reason for high fuel prices in Dagestan is that wholesalers sell fuel to local gas station owners at high prices.

"What can they do? They shouldn't anger the people. They are sold fuel at high prices by the networks. This is the problem. One shouldn't draw conclusions from someone's incorrect words," wrote user santoni_7777.

"The networks sell at 110 rubles and private owners should earn some money," pointed out user koottt_iiew.

"The networks are suffocating them. They have no choice but to add to the cost. Most gas stations are owned by private individuals. They are simply being pressured to take over the market," wrote elyaaa_2806.

Some users expressed the opinion that the situation could improve if network companies start operating in Dagestan.

"Networks are needed in the republic. That's all. Private owners will immediately correct themselves," believes aliev.r.a.agul.

"We need to let networks into Dagestan, then there will be competition," noted user baadruuuu.

"Let them close all private owners, otherwise there will be no order, the greed of the locals is crossing all boundaries," stated user imya_neznau.

Remember, against the backdrop of drone attacks on oil refineries, including those located in southern Russia, a fuel crisis has arisen. The fuel problem caused a sharp increase in demand for the installation of gas cylinder equipment. In auto services, queues of clients have stretched for several months ahead, and the cost of equipment has nearly doubled.

Analysts previously noted that the long wait forces motorists to turn to "gray" installers who do not guarantee the safety of the equipment.

At the same time, analysts believe that the mass installation of gas equipment will not help overcome the fuel crisis, as the necessary infrastructure is still lacking.

Creating such infrastructure in a short time is impossible, stated the deputy director of the National Energy Institute Alexander Frolov. "However, the current crisis is a good reason to remember the programs that already exist but are developing much slower than planned," he noted.

The leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund Igor Yushkov suggested that the mass transition of drivers to gas will not become a long-term trend. In his opinion, after the gasoline issue is resolved and the queues at gas stations disappear, the excitement around the installation of gas equipment will decline.