After the recent scandal related to the import of electricity from Russia to Ukraine, a new scheme was invented. According to it the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Taras Kachka will help to force out the competition in the oil market. He will do everything to supply diesel and gas to our country exclusively from the Russian Federation to the damage of the national producer and economy.

A meeting of the interdepartmental commission on international trade will be held at the Ministry of Economy tomorrow, May 22, 2020. One of the main issues on the agenda is the consideration of national producers’ of oil products complaint on Russian fuel imports (diesel fuel and liquefied gas).

Ukrainian producers have discovered that there is illegitimate subsidization of oil refining in the Russian Federation, provided by a negative excise mechanism, which significantly limits free competition.

Thus, deliveries of oil products and liquefied gas from the Russian Federation are carried out at a reduced price. It is significantly lower compared to the prices of neighboring competing countries.

It will lead to the takeover of the Ukrainian market. Moreover, Russian producers will additionally increase the volume of fuel imports to our country. To add, they dominated the Ukrainian market even before:

• the share of the Russian diesel engine in the Ukrainian market is 47%;

• the share of liquefied natural gas of the Russian Federation is 55%.

Ukrainian manufacturers are asking the interdepartmental commission to consider a complaint on this account and take steps to resolve the issue. Key requirements are as follows:

The anti-subsidy procedure and the application of countervailing measures for the import of oil products from the Russian Federation. According to the results of the investigation, in order to protect the national producer, apply a countervailing duty for oil products produced in the Russian Federation.

A list of the top officials of the Cabinet of Ministers who will be present at tomorrow’s commission:

• Igor Petrashko - Minister of Economic Development;

• Taras Kachka - Deputy Minister of Economic Development;

• Igor Zhovka - Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine;

• Dmitry Abramovich - First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure;

• Alexander Bunchuk - Deputy Minister of Justice;

• Egor Bozhok - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs;

• Svetlana Vorobei - Deputy Minister of Finance;

• Valentin Garashchuk - Head of the Directorate of the State Counterintelligence Department for the Protection of the State Interests of the SSU

• Sergey Tishchik - State Commissioner of the Antimonopoly Committee;

• Vladimir Fedorchuk - Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet;

• Alexander Chernykh - Secretary of State for Economic Development;

• Konstantin Chizhik - Deputy Minister of Energy.

But it may turn out that the meeting will be held to divert attention. The deputy minister of economy, who is the first deputy head of this commission, Taras Kachka, sold the interests of Ukraine in advance and gave the order to the relevant Department for the Protection of National Manufacturers to prepare a draft decision with the refusal to conduct an investigation for members of the commission.

This is an openly anti-Ukrainian position and a real diversion in the interests of the Russian Federation.

It is already known that the recommendations of the ministry are as follows:

“To complete the anti-subsidy procedure regarding the import into Ukraine of certain types of oil refining (diesel fuel and liquefied gas), which is produced in the Russian Federation, without initiating an anti-subsidy investigation.”

The ministry deems that there is not enough authority for this! Which is absolutely outrageous. The Ukrainian producer cannot be protected at home where he creates jobs and pays taxes.

It is a fact that Taras Kachka, who is the trade representative of Ukraine, the first deputy head of the commission to protect the national producer, acts in the interests of the aggressor country. Moreover, he gives his subordinates personal criminal instructions – to refuse Ukrainian manufacturers to start the investigation. In general, they do not want to launch it, so that Ukrainian manufacturers are unable to defend their position and work out ways of protection.

This is an absolutely anti-state policy. SSU and relevant ministries should not allow a criminal conspiracy of Taras Kachka with the aggressor country. He must be dismissed, and his actions must be investigated by law enforcement. The criminal instructions of a Russian agent cannot be carried out.

Andrey Pshenichny for the site dubinsky.pro