Ukraine losing up to 60 mln hryvni a day over clogged Jagodzin border crossing point - infrastructure minister
MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - Ukraine is losing up to 60 million hryvni per day because of a 58-kilometer long line of trucks on the Jagodzin border checkpoint waiting to cross into Poland, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said at a press conference on Thursday.
"There are 2,437 trucks in the line. Considering that nearly 40% of all exports crossing the Polish border go through Jagodzin, this involves huge losses, which the customs estimates at 55-60 million hryvni a day," Ukrainian media quoted Kubrakov as saying.
Deputy Infrastructure Minister Mustafa Nayem said Ukraine has offered Poland a solution to the border problem.
"Increasing the number of Polish phytosanitary and veterinary inspectors could significantly improve the situation. And besides, Ukraine has also proposed discussing repealing control of trucks carrying rapeseed for producing biodiesel and those passing through Poland in transit," he said.
Ukrainian services stand ready to start sorting vehicles at the border depending on the cargo they carry, giving priority to trucks that Polish inspectors can clear on the other side without having to wait, he said.
To improve the situation on the Polish border, Ukraine stands ready to prepare and open the Hrushiv-Budomierz, Uhryniv-Dolhobyczow, and Smilnytsia-Kroscienko crossing points for a fast-track passage of empty trucks, he said.
"We are prepared for a joint decision on possibly opening the Nyzhankovychi-Malhowice and Varyazh-Usmierz crossing points for temporary exit of unloaded trucks," Nayem said.
In addition to the proposals on improving the situation at the Jagodzin crossing point, Nayem said the throughput capacity of the other crossing points could be increased if Poland stops counting unloaded trucks as those cleared for passage per shift.
"In fact, empty trucks pass considerably quicker without any clearance than loaded ones. It would be an appropriate decision to increase the number of trucks crossing the border per day to 500 from 300," he said.
The relevant Ukrainian and Polish services have discussed all the abovementioned proposals, Nayem said. In addition, Ukraine has sent relevant letters to the Polish Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, Infrastructure Ministry, Finance Ministry, and Interior Ministry.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Kubrakov said he hoped an upcoming meeting between the Ukrainian and Polish prime ministers would have a positive effect on normalizing the situation on the border. However, it would take at least two weeks following a meeting between the premiers to normalize the operation of the Jagodzin crossing point, he said.