TASHKENT. Dec 10 (Interfax) - The fuel price increases being observed at present remain within an acceptable range, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev told journalists.

"I do not think the growth is out of step with the overall average," he said.

Fuel prices have increased 9.4% on an annual basis, compared with 9.2% for the overall consumer price index.

"They are practically equal. There are also specific factors, connected with seasonality, for example. So it seems to me that everything is occurring within acceptable bounds," he said.

Ulyukayev said forecasting fuel price increases next year was difficult. "It is hard to say right now. There are components connected with excise taxes, the tax maneuver. That means an additional increase of a ruble [per liter], a ruble plus a little, that is, let's say, 3%. Perhaps for that reason it will be a little higher than inflation," he said. The price of oil accounts for a small percentage of the retail price of gasoline, while taxes make up a large component.

At a meeting with members of the government on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin expressed dismay that retail fuel prices were increasing even as the price of crude oil was dropping.

"Some things of course raise questions: oil product prices have risen 10% as of December 1 even though global oil prices have fallen 35%," Putin said.

"That's not all