Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Reforms Council Mikheil Saakashvili opposes the introduction of import quotas on mineral fertilizers and plans to raise the issue at a meeting with the prime minister.
“As for the situation with fertilizers. Yesterday I sent a letter to the economy minister. We will discuss this issue with the prime minister… I think we will stop this,” he said during an online meeting with businessmen on June 2.
According to Saakashvili, such an initiative is “a classic case of lobbying the interests of oligarchs’ monopoly businesses.”
“The situation is as follows: with the aim of protecting Ukrainian producers, they close imports [of fertilizers] not only for Russia, but also for Europe, where they are 30% cheaper than in Russia. The situation is simple. We have an oligarch with a monopoly, in this case it is [Dmytro] Firtash, and, as far as I understand, Oleh Bakhmatiuk. They divided the market,” he said.
On the other side there are small producers of fertilizers, which are in competition with the monopolists and make a profit, Saakashvili said.
In this context he mentioned DTEK’s fertilizer plant.
“For some reason this small enterprise works, and not only DTEK, but several others work well too. If they work well, why others cannot do so?” Saakashvili said.
As reported, the Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Ministry of Ukraine is considering a possibility of introducing import quotas on mineral fertilizers. Several agricultural associations, importers and traders have voiced public protest against this idea and called on the government to reject it.
