The abolition of customs duties will allow the Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant to increase exports

March 26, Minsk / Tatyana Lobas - BELTA /. The abolition of export customs duties on all types of goods (except oil products) in accordance with Decree No. 135 is a timely and effective measure to support exporting enterprises, the foreign economic relations, trade and marketing department of the Belgospishcheprom concern told a BELTA correspondent. Export customs duties were imposed on one of the industry's products - rapeseed (commodity code 1205 of the Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature). It is procured by one enterprise in the industry, which is its main processor into vegetable oil, the Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant. The enterprise has an above-plan quantity of rapeseed from last year's harvest and could increase its supplies abroad. As emphasized by the department, after the abolition of customs duties, the export of rapeseed may increase, and this will be an effective measure to generate additional income. According to experts, the decree will have a positive impact on the activities of rapeseed producers and processors as a whole. Since the enterprise no longer has to pay export customs duties, it will be able to increase the competitiveness of its products when sold on foreign markets. The main processors of rapeseed in Belarus are OJSC "Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant" and ZAO "GrodnoBioProduct", for which the state order is determined until 2010. In particular, in 2009, the total state order for the republic was set at 315 thousand tons, including 105 thousand tons for organizations of the Belgospishcheprom concern (Vitebsk OEP - 65 thousand tons and GrodnoBioProduct - 40 thousand tons). In 2010, the total state order will be 390 thousand tons. For Belgospishcheprom organizations, the target is set at 115 thousand tons (Vitebsk OEP - 75 thousand tons and GrodnoBioProduct - 40 thousand tons). Thus, the state order will be gradually increased to ensure fuller utilization of processing capacities and meet the country's domestic needs for rapeseed oil.-0-