The cost of upgrading oil quality should not be borne only by the consumers, says an article of Guangzhou Daily (excerpts below).

China will upgrade its gasoline standard from Jan 1, 2014, in response to the need to reduce automobile-related air pollutants. China Petrochemical Corporation, the largest State-owned enterprise of its field in China, stated earlier that the upgrade does not pose any technological problems.

According to the execution plan, consumers will bear the costs of the upgrade, as they are the main beneficiaries.

But, as indicated by international conventions, the new costs should be shared by consumers, the government and companies.

Reducing air pollution is a responsibility of the government, which is obliged to subsidize its corporation. The government and the corporation earn huge profits from their monopoly of the oil market.

So the decision-makers need to rethink the rationale of the aforementioned plan.