Zlotnikau: Mazyr oil-processing plant to be sold like Beltransgaz in 2011
Belarus needs foreign currency now.
Economist Leanid Zlotnikau has shared his opinion with Euroradio.
Belarus has offered Mazyr oil-processing plant to Rosneft, vice PM Pyotr Prakapovich said. One of the terms of the deal will be increased oil supplies to the plant.
The main reason will be different, Leanid Zlotnikau thinks:
Zlotnikau: “They probably want Russia to refuse from getting back the export fee (it was already mentioned in mass media). We have to return the export fee for oil products made from Russian oil. It is about $3 or 4 billion and we allocate the money to the Russian budget.”
The Russian company owns part of the shares of Mazyr oil-processing plant but does not have the controlling interest. He compares the sale of Mazyr plant shares with the sale of Beltrangaz shares in 2011.
Zlotnikau: "The second half of Beltrangaz shares was sold to Gazprom in 2011. The situation was very difficult and it was hard to find a way out of the crisis – then they sold the second half of the shares. This offer also indicates that the financial situation is very difficult. They badly need foreign currency to support the current standard of living, give cheap credits to enterprises, keep workers busy and provide them with higher wages…”
Photo: svaboda.org
