Shortfall to increase Yakutia's rail freight export capacity at 80 bln rubles - Transport Ministry
MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) - The Russian Transport Ministry estimates the shortfall in financing to expand capacity to transport rail freight from Yakutia at 80 billion rubles.
"We have included [this project] in the plan, but there is an overall balance problem. The project specifications assumed 110 billion rubles in federal budget money. A portion was invested; there remains a shortfall of 88 billion rubles. Of that, 8 billion rubles was covered from supplementary sources that Russian Railways (RZD) found. But there is a shortfall of 80 billion rubles. Right now we are figuring out what we will do with this shortfall and at what time we are to complete this portion of the project," Deputy Transport Minister Alan Lushnikov said in an interview with Kommersant published on Monday.
"As far as I am aware, this segment is aimed at additional shipment of coal from Kolmar, alongside the 8 million tonnes indicated in the project. The colleagues have still not arrived at 8 million tonnes, there is still room. But we very much support them. This is a good example of a company that is implementing its plan," he said.
At the same time, asked if coal producers were "to some extent" ready to contribute to the expansion of another segment, Mezhdurechensk-Taishet, Lushnikov said: "No. They said: 'You allocated federal money to this. Please don't reverse it. Definitely complete construction of the segment for us.' They didn't offer their own money."