Astana, 20 October. The Ministry of National Economy has published a draft resolution cutting the floating share of the additional excise duty on oil products from 95% to 50%, a return to the rules in force before 1 September 2026.
The changes apply to wholesale sales of diesel, benzanol, gasohol, nefras and environmental fuel; the document has been posted on the Open Legal Acts portal. In September the government raised the share of margin withdrawn from fuel suppliers to 95%, retroactively from 1 September. The PetroMining association and subsoil users responded with calculations showing that such a tax burden threatened losses on domestic fuel supplies and cuts in investment in modernising the industry. Inbusiness also reported that the new excise blow to oil companies had been postponed.
The floating additional excise works like this: if wholesale fuel prices rise, part of the increase (until recently 95%, now 50% again) goes to the budget. The higher the share, the less suppliers gain from raising prices, but the less they earn on the domestic market.
What it means: The state is reversing its September decision to take 95% of any rise in wholesale fuel prices into the budget and is returning to the previous share of 50%, after oil companies showed with calculations that otherwise domestic supplies would become loss-making.
Who benefits: Fuel suppliers and producers gain: more of the revenue from rising wholesale prices stays with them, and so more money for modernisation; the budget will miss part of the excise. For drivers at the pump it means suppliers again have more incentive to raise wholesale prices — that is how the mechanism works.
Background: The decision comes against a backdrop of expensive oil: a day earlier Brent rose above $111 a barrel for the first time since May.
List of sources used: Petro Council, Inbusiness, PRIME
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
