Tax maneuver in oil sector must not harm companies, fuel consumers - Medvedev
GORKI. Sept 18 (Interfax) - The tax maneuver in the oil sector must not harm companies or consumers, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday at a meeting to discuss stimulus for oil production and development of the oil production sector.
"Clearly, questions concerning stimulus for the sector cannot be examined in isolation from the existing tax regime. This includes in connection with the tax maneuver in the oil sector. [Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak] held a meeting, discussed the need for certain adjustments to individual tax maneuver parameters. The general position is that changes to taxation of the sector must not harm either the oil companies or Russian consumers of oil products. We already had a difficult situation with fuel prices arise in spring this year," he said.
A repeat of the events connected with steep growth in fuel prices must not be allowed to occur, he said.
"I hope the heads of the oil companies have heard the government concerning stabilization of the situation on the domestic market and it will not be necessary to introduce prohibitive duties on oil and oil products," Medvedev said.
In attendance at the meeting are First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, deputy prime ministers Alexei Gordeyev and Dmitry Kozak, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh and the heads of the profile companies.