Authorities to sell Druzhba pipeline
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13:11, — Economics
The Belarusian government issued a plan of privatisation of state property for 2008-2010. Among the assets, the state is going to sell the next year, are Gomeltransneft-Druzhba pipeline and Druzhba oil transporting republican unitary enterprise in Navapolatsk.
A total of 519 state enterprises are to be privatised, among them 176 will be privatised in 2008, 213 – in 2009, 130 – in 2010. State shares of 147 stock companies are to be sold.
Minsk didn’t show its intention to privatise its part of Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Europe, Valery Nesterov from Troika Dialog told in an interview to Vedomosti daily. A decision to sell Druzhba may be connected with Russia’s plans on the BPS-2 (Baltic Pipeline System) construction and possible reducing of Druzhba load, he thinks.
The list doesn’t contain state blocks of stock of two Belarusian oil processing enterprises – Mazyr and Navapolatsk Naftan. Belarus doesn’t refuse to privatise the two enterprises, but doesn’t want to set terms, Syarhei Musienka, head of the Minsk analytical center Ecoom, thinks.
The Belarusian authorities say they will work out an individual approach to selling of every enterprise. “Some directors of plants fear that Russian capital will purchase everything. We won’t allow it,” Iryna Barkouskaya, head of the department of the Fund of State Property of Belarus, told to BelTA. Block of stock of 25 per cent can be sold on the first stage, but then an investor’s stake can rise, she says.
Minsktrans will lose the greatest number of its enterprises (143). Most of then are bus and car parks. The list also includes repair enterprises of the Belarusian railways, Belavtostrada building enterprise, Belarusian River and Sea Steamship, Pinsk and Homel shipbuilding plants, aircraft repair plant in Orsha. 109 industrial enterprises will be privatised, including Minsk Automobile Plant, Minsk Engine Plant, Baranavichy Car Units Plant, BelAZ (Belarusian Automobile Plant), Belgaztekhnika, Gomselmash, Minsk Plant of Transfer Lines.
12 Belarusian military-industrial enterprises, including producers and designers of automobile machinery – Minsk Plant of Tractor-Trailers, Volavto, and means of communication and electronics – Lyos, Agat-system, high-frequency communication Radar, Minsk Electromechanical plant. The Belarusian military industrial complex is interesting for Russian arms exporters, they can take part in armament modernisation programmes for foreign customers, Kanstantin Makienka from the Center of Strategy and Technologies Analysis says.
