OREANDA-NEWS. Vice-President of "Concern Galnaftogaz" (network of "OKKO" filling complexes) Yuri Kuchabskyi and heads of several departments of the company during the 12th-13th of November took part in the international conference Petroleum Ukraine 2013, organized by consulting group "A-95". This is the fifth such forum, which brings together leading players of the Ukrainian fuel market.

Network of filling complexes "OKKO" is the official partner of Petroleum Ukraine 2013. It regularly supports such conferences as they give the opportunity to market participants to exchange views on the most pressing problems of the industry openly, to express fresh ideas, to hear authoritative opinions of experts, academics, government representatives. "These activities are very important for competitive Ukrainian market, it is civilized mechanism of communication and finding all the necessary decisions", - said vice-president of "Concern Galnaftogaz" Yuri Kuchabskyi.

This year's conference Petroleum Ukraine 2013, according to the estimates of organizers, gathered a record number of visitors - more than 200 registered delegates from 15 countries. In the speeches and panel discussions took part top-managers of Ukrainian filling station networks, representatives of the Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Belgium companies. Most of them noted that Ukrainian market of petroleum products is highly competitive and very good self-regulated. At the same time there are still many issues which might be solved - in particular, a large proportion of contraband and substandard fuel, decline of national oil refining, lack of mechanisms for the implementation of the law on the mandatory addition of bioethanol in petroleum product, etc.

But in general, according to director of consulting group A-95 Sergiy Kuyun, 2013 was favorable to the fuel retailers, especially for large nationwide networks of filling stations. Most of them, as the expert noted, have increased the number of its branded filling stations and expanded coverage territory. This trend, in his opinion, is positive for the market as a whole. "We noticed that the arrival of system players in the region immediately improves the local statistics on consumption of petroleum products, - said Sergiy Kuyun. - Because reporting becomes transparent, tax deductions - higher and black market is narrowed.