Russia believes the arguments of Belarus regarding the need to increase the cost of transit of Russian oil by 23.1% are unfounded, the head of the department for regulating the fuel and energy complex of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation Dmitry Makhonin has recently stated.
“These arguments do not justify the tariff growth. Accordingly, the question now goes to the industry of planned tariff regulation,” he said, RIA Novosti reports.
Dmitry Makhonin specified that the tariff revision is scheduled for February 1, 2020. The tariff is indexed to the level of forecast inflation in Russia for the current year plus 3%. Thus, in 2019, the indexation was 7.6%.
Belarus has informed the Russian Transneft of its intention to increase the tariff for transporting oil through its territory by 23%. Commenting on the possible change in tariffs, the chairman of the Belneftekhim concern, Andrei Rybakou, said that the tariff for transporting oil through Belarus is the lowest among the transit countries and currently amounts to $ 0.86 per 100 tonne-kilometers. For example, the tariff in Poland is higher by 22% ($ 1.05), in Ukraine it is 62% higher ($ 1.39).
In Russia, the unilateral increase in tariffs for the transit of Russian oil by Belarus was called an “unthinkable” step. “The solution to the situation is possible in the judicial sphere,” said Dmitry Makhonin in response.
