Price of Gas Raised 25% in Moscow
Mayor Yuri Luzhkov raised the price of gasoline 25% in the Russian capital Friday, angering motorists who have endured several other sharp increases this year.
The West has urged Russia to raise its fuel prices to world levels, arguing that artificially low energy costs distort the economy and subsidize inefficient factories.
At 38 cents a gallon, the Russian gasoline price is well below Western standards. But the average Russian worker, earning $28 a month, has to work two days to buy a tankful of gasoline. A driver also may have to wait an hour in line to reach the pumps.
President Boris N. Yeltsin lifted price controls on gasoline in March.
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