The new environmental tax on oil transit through Belarus does not apply to Russia and will be paid by Gomeltransneft Druzhba pipeline operator, a source in the Belarusian oil industry, familiar with preparations of the draft decree, told Sputnik on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th January, 2020) The new environmental tax on oil transit through Belarus does not apply to Russia and will be paid by Gomeltransneft Druzhba pipeline operator, a source in the Belarusian oil industry, familiar with preparations of the draft decree, told Sputnik on Monday.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed late last week a decree, under which the tax will be imposed. Apart from that, the decree stipulates that a 50 percent profit tax rate has been set to enable funding of removal of possible consequences of oil pipelines accidents and other accidents related to oil transportation through the country.
"Work on the draft decree was conducted during the past year, there were several options of the document. As far as I know, there were plans to impose a fixed [environmental] tax in the amount of 35 [Belarusian] kopecks [$0.17] for 100 tonne-kilometres [of pumped oil] ... The last variant of the decree has not been published officially yet, it is just known that it has been signed ... But it is suggested that Gomeltransneft Druzhba will pay this tax as the operator of the Belarusian sector of the Druzhba pipeline, [Russian] Transneft will not pay anything. This does not anyhow apply to the Russian side at all," the source said.
