燃料補助、２５円軸に拡充　石油やガス、増産要請・備蓄放出も―萩生田経産相

　萩生田光一経済産業相は２５日の閣議後記者会見で、ロシアがウクライナに本格侵攻したことを受け、ガソリンなど燃料油高対策として実施中の石油元売り補助金の大幅な引き上げのほか、石油や天然ガスなどエネルギーの安定供給に向けた増産要請や追加の備蓄石油放出などの対策を実施すると発表した。補助金については、今年度予算の予備費を活用し、上限を２５円程度に現行の５倍に引き上げる案を軸に調整を進めている。
　国際原油相場は、ロシアからの原油・ガス供給が長期間にわたって滞るリスクへの懸念から急騰している。代表的な指標となる米国産ＷＴＩ先物相場は２４日に一時、約７年７カ月ぶりに１バレル＝１００ドルの節目を上回った。萩生田氏は国民生活への影響を最小限にとどめるため、元売りへの補助金について「支援を深掘りし、国民の皆さんが経済活動に対応できる幅を考えていきたい」と強調。現在１リットル当たり５円としている補助金の上限を大幅に引き上げる方針を示した。（2022/02/25-11:50）

The Japanese government will substantially raise the cap on its subsidies paid to oil wholesalers to help slow the pace of rises in gasoline and other fuel prices, following Russia's launch of full-scale invasion of Ukraine, industry minister Koichi Hagiuda said Friday.
   The government is mainly considering an option of raising the ceiling to around 25 yen per liter from the current 5 yen by tapping into reserve funds under its budget for fiscal 2021, which ends next month.
   At a press conference, the minister also said that the government will additionally release oil from its state reserves and ask for hikes in oil and gas production to ensure stable supplies.
   International crude oil prices are surging due to concerns over the possibility of the disruption of crude oil and gas supplies from Russia lasting for a long period. On the New York Mercantile Exchange on Thursday, key West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures briefly rose above 100 dollars per barrel for the first time in seven years and seven months.
   On the subsidy scheme, Hagiuda stressed the government's eagerness to "expand the support and consider an appropriate size (of hike in the aid) to help people engage in (sufficient) economic activities" and to minimize the impact of the surging gasoline prices on their livelihoods.