Industry asks govt to lobby for oil price band

Oil consuming nations should form a syndicate for collective bargaining in crude oil prices, which would strengthen their position in the crude market, the survey by industry body Assocham said.     

About 83 per cent of the business leaders agreed that India along with other developing nations should stress on the need for price band mechanism in oil trading, Assocham President Sajjan Jindal said in a statement.     

The unabated rise in global crude prices has become a double-edged sword for oil importing nations that are facing huge import bills, impacting their balance of payment and widening trade deficits, Jindal said.     

International crude oil prices have shot up by 100 per cent in the last one year touching over $ 145 per barrel.     

The rising price is attributed to factors like weakening dollar, speculation in oil markets, increased demand from China and India and pressure on the US refiners to increase production of new gasoline, the survey said.     

Majority of the CEOs said oil prices are moving upwards due to speculative activity rather than real productive demand.