Monopolies could share cost of infrastructure in Russia - minister
MOSCOW. Oct 28 (Interfax) - The Russian Industry and Trade Ministry is looking at the possibility of splitting the cost of creating infrastructure for industry with the monopolies.
"We'll be looking at this strategy [to develop the chemicals industry to 2030] with our colleagues from the Transport Ministry, Energy Ministry and other interested parties, because we are considering splitting the cost of new infrastructure 50/50," Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said at a meeting of the expert council on the chemical industry's development.
"I think this could be reflected in the strategy that will be discussed itself. I'm hoping it will be supported and that we'll build these principles into the sector's development. But this will also apply to other sectors of Russian industry," Manturov said.
Alexander Popov, chairman of the board of directors at fertilizer producer Acron , suggested during the meeting that chemicals industry enterprises might gain access to the infrastructure of natural monopolies. "If Gazprom supplies gas, it has to ensure that gas is supplied via its own pipelines. If we build, say, a mining complex on the Kola Peninsula, we'd like the railways to build a spur to the site. But today, unfortunately, everything's the other way round," Popov said.
"We as chemists could be concentrating on building more chemicals industry sites on the condition that the state and state monopolies grant us free access to their infrastructure," he said.
