FAS to secure return of Gazprom to SPIMEX - Artemyev
MOSCOW. Feb 20 (Interfax) - The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS), which is in charge of launching spot gas trading in Russia, will secure the return of Gazprom to exchange trading on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX), FAS chief Igor Artemyev told journalists.
Gazprom sat out the last two trading session - on contracts for delivery in February and March - after identifying tax risks under the current trading system. However, companies in the Gazprom group are playing an active role in buying gas on the exchange.
"We and the Federal Tax Service (FTS) are saying that there are no risks. This is our opinion. Gazprom is saying these risks exist. Is the general hope that it will convince itself that there is no risk? I don't know. Maybe it needs a letter from the FTS? Or what? Does [President] Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] need to sign everything?" Artemyev said.
"We of course understand that without Gazprom the trade is senseless. If this is some new way to avoid trading - it seems to me this it's not worth it. It seems to me that the trade was very beneficial for Gazprom itself. Moreover, it had a favorable effect on very many processes," he said.
Asked what action the FAS might take if Gazprom skipped trading for another month, Artemyev said: "We of course will ask the government to get involved in this situation and discuss the situation with Gazprom," he said.
