| Belarus again wants to fine a Russian company The seemingly quiet conflict around the property of the Russian Transnefteproduct, located on the territory of Belarus, flared up with renewed vigor. The tax authorities of the republic put forward further claims against Zapad-Transnefteprodukt in the amount of $13 million and went to court.
Property located in Belarus has long been a headache for Transnefteproduct. A few years ago, a serious scandal broke out between Minsk and Moscow, as Belarusians declared their claims to this asset. Meanwhile, according to the 1992 Bishkek Agreement, the Belarusian, Ukrainian and Kazakh sections of the pipelines belong to Russia. However, the registration of property rights, which began in 1998, was never completed: Minsk refused to sign the necessary protocols.
In 2000, the Supreme Economic Court of Belarus canceled the registration of Zapad-Transnefteprodukt (a subsidiary of Transnefteprodukt that manages pipelines in Belarus), citing that it was not properly registered. This was followed by a threat to take away the company's license. In 2003, the holding was presented with tax claims for $13 million for carrying out activities without registration. At the same time, Minsk again stated that it considered the pipe its property. True, then officials proposed creating a Russian-Belarusian joint venture and dividing the income from the company’s activities in half.
As a result, the issue was resolved at the level of the presidents of the two countries, and in January 2004 Belarus recognized the rights of Russia. A corresponding intergovernmental protocol was signed in June and ratified by the Belarusian parliament in November. However, the dispute between tax authorities and Transnefteproduct continues. In December, consideration of the case by the Gomel court was once again suspended, but today the hearings should resume.
At the same time, yesterday the director of Zapad-Transnefteprodukt Nikolai Alkhimovich told Interfax that the tax authorities presented another claim to the company. According to him, the Mozyr Inspectorate of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of Belarus, based on the results of an audit of the financial and economic activities of the enterprise, sent two claims to the Mozyr Interdistrict Court to recognize the 26 thousand tons of diesel fuel on the balance sheet of the enterprise worth more than $13 million as “orphan”. claims, the court refused to accept them. Tax officials intend to challenge this decision in the Gomel Regional Court. A hearing is scheduled for March 10. If a court decision is made in favor of the plaintiff, the diesel fuel recognized as ownerless will be confiscated to the state.
Yesterday the tax inspectorate in Mozyr refused to say why tax officials consider oil products to be “orphaned”. Denis REBROV |
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