Belarus : in Russia's oil export duties

Minsk wants to participate in Russia's decision making on oil export taxation as they influence the Belarusian economy, a government source said on Thursday. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed a cut in crude oil export duty to 60 percent of average weighted market price and export duty rate for dark and light oil products at 66 percent of the crude oil export duty from October 1. Gasoline export duty was kept at 90 percent of crude oil as the government would like to use it to saturate the domestic market with the fuel. "Russia sets gasoline export duty at 90 percent in oil from May 1, which in fact is prohibitive for its exports," the source said. "Belarus under its agreements with Russia is obliged to take similar measures, although the situations in the oil industry of Belarus and Russia are different." Minsk intends to hold consultations with Moscow to get an opportunity to influence the export taxation policy under the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the source said. "We would like the Belarusian side to also be involved in preparing such decisions because they directly affect the Belarusian economy," he added.