Russia Can Impose Gas Export Duty For Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Russian government can impose gas export duty for Belarus, RIA Novosti informs with a reference to a source in the government. If the offer of Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller would be accepted, gas for Belarus would cost $260 per cu. m., and Russia would additionally receive $1.3 billion.

On Wednesday, December 27 Alexei Miller told to journalists that the company is to address the Russian government with a proposal to impose an export duty for gas delivered to Belarus. He said the Russian budget loses about 1.3 billion dollars in annual revenues from gas deliveries to the neighbouring country. Alexei Miller told that he plans to request the Russian government to impose export duties on gas exported to Belarus.

This statement looked like a reaction to a refusal of Minsk to accept new prices of Russian gas deliveries, Newsru.com informs. “No other country of the former USSR has more preferential conditions now… Besides, export duty is not collected for gas deliveries to Belarus now, otherwise the price at the Russian-Belarusian border for Belarusian customers could be 260 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters,” Alexei Miller said.

Exports duties would be considered, however the Cabinet would like to avoid this decision so far. "This shouldn`t be done,” a source in the Cabinet said. In his opinion, “the issue may be considered, thoroughly prepared, and calculations may be made, but this should be done with caution.”

As for the talks with Belarus on Russian gas price for 2007, the source hopes that “common sense” will eventually prevail. “A reasonable, timely decision will be taken despite the fact that the talks are difficult and tensions are mounting,” said the source. The current gas contract expires in 4 days.

As we have informed, in the beginning of December 2006 Russia imposed a duty for oil deliveries to Belarus. According to experts, it would cost$2 billion to Belarus annually. A duty-free regime of oil deliveries to Belarus cost about $4 billion a year to Russia.