Development of competition in the market of light oil products: theory, problems and ways of their solution

It is substantiated that the development of competition in the market of light oil products is complex and controversial, due to a number of problems: reduction of domestic production and leadership of importers in the Ukrainian market of light oil products; non-transparency of economic relations, strengthening of shadow operations; unstable internal and external price environment; fluctuations in retail prices for gasoline and diesel fuel; aggravation of problems caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine. It is determined that the market of retail sales of light oil products is characterized as a «rigid» or «vague oligopoly» formed by several powerful market operators, occupying about 70%, whose collective position in the markets has structural features of a monopoly (dominant), which creates the possibility of conscious parallel behavior of market participants (tacit collusion). The economic and legal principles of limiting the abuse of dominant operators in the market and the development of competition in it are substantiated.