据阿拉伯贸易网8月11日阿布扎比报道，据阿联酋通讯社（Wam）近日报道，印度政府时下正在准备改革国内的燃料市场，向外国石油公司，尤其是向海湾合作委员会成员国的石油公司开放这个利润丰厚的行业。

为了启动这一进程，印度石油和天然气部已准备了一份内阁文件，该文件将结束基本上限制国内石油公司其中大多数是国有能源巨头在印度分销燃料的规定。

在Wam看到这份文件之前，印度在3月份成立了一个委员会，该委员会建议改革印度庞大的国内燃料分配体系。这一过程是莫迪政府在今年早些时候举行的选举中获得新授权后，努力在该国推行下一波经济改革的一部分。

新成立的委员会在5月份提交了报告。该委员会表示，寻求进入燃料营销业务的石油公司的净资产应该是它们在印度获得销售汽油、柴油和航空燃料资格的主要条件。该报告称，此举将使海湾地区的能源公司有资格参与。到目前为止，主要条件是提出申请石油公司应在炼油、管道、石油勘探和生产或终端方面进行基准投资。

报告称，由于只有国内企业，尤其是国有石油巨头进行了此类投资，它们在燃料营销业务中享有实质上的垄断地位。

Wam的报告称，委员会还赞成向石油行业以外的公司开放国内燃料市场，以期吸引各方参与这一业务。

沙特阿拉伯国家石油公司（沙特阿美）已致信印度政府，表示有意进入印度燃料零售市场。法国道达尔和和总部位于新加坡的托克公司也表达了类似的兴趣。

考虑到规模、人口和新兴经济体，印度是世界上最大的汽油和柴油市场之一。据统计，印度燃料市场的销售额仅去年一年就增长了大约8%。

李峻 编译自 阿拉伯贸易

原文如下：

GCC firms eyeing India's fuel retail sector

The Indian government is preparing to reform domestic fuel marketing in India, opening up this lucrative sector to foreign oil companies, especially those in the Gulf, according to the Emirati news agency Wam.

To set this process in motion, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has prepared a cabinet note which will end rules that essentially restricted fuel distribution in India to domestic oil companies. Most of them are state-run energy enterprises, said the report.

The note, which Wam has seen, follows recommendations by a committee formed in March to reform India’s huge domestic fuel distribution system. The process is part of Modi government’s efforts to introduce the next wave of economic reforms in the country following its new mandate in elections held earlier this year.

The committee, which submitted its report in May, argued that the net worth of companies seeking to enter the fuel marketing business should be the main condition of their eligibility to sell petrol, diesel and jet fuel in India. This will make energy companies in the Gulf eligible, stated the report.

Hitherto, the main condition was that applicant oil firms should have made benchmark investments in refining, pipelines, oil exploration and production or terminals.

Since only domestic companies, especially state-run oil majors had made such investments, they enjoyed virtual monopoly in the fuel marketing business, it said.

The committee also favoured throwing open domestic fuel marketing to companies outside the oil sector to attract diverse participation in this business, stated the Wam report.

Saudi Aramco has already written to the Indian government expressing its interest in entering the retail segment of fuel marketing. Other oil companies which have expressed similar interest are Total of France and Trafigura, headquartered in Singapore.

India, given its size, population and emerging economy, is one of the biggest markets in the world for petrol and diesel. Last year alone, this market grew by approximately eight per cent, it added.