OREANDA-NEWS  The government has proposed to adjust the parameters of tax increases for some rental industries. Among other things, we are talking about an increase in the cut-off prices of the mineral extraction tax (MET) for coal companies and a change in the parameters of tax indexing for fertilizer producers. This is with reference to the amendments of the Ministry of Finance to the bill submitted to the second reading in the State Duma, Kommersant writes.

So, for thermal coal, the cut-off price, from which the rate will increase, has increased from $ 100 in the ports of the Far East to $ 120. The source of the publication assesses the innovation as good, because problems with the income of suppliers are recognized at current costs, but fears that the increase in transportation costs will reduce the positive to zero.

According to him, this situation was already observed at the beginning of the year in the south. High rates for transshipment in the port of Taman led to the fact that sending fuel for export in this direction would become unprofitable, and coal was simply not transported there. And in this case, if the increase in gondola rental rates does not stop, then there will be nothing to pay the increased MET.

However, Maxim Khudalov, chief strategist of the Vector X investment company, believes that in the next year and a half there will be no threat of tax increases for coal companies, because world prices remain low, and there are no reasons for their growth. Nevertheless, he noted, the industry is worried that the source of prices is not specified.

The interlocutor of the publication calls the proposed adjustments for fertilizer producers a positive moment, but he is sure that companies will try to mitigate the conditions even more, because the load will still increase significantly.

Earlier, Kpler analysts estimated that by the end of the first half of 2024, the total volume of Russian coal exports by sea fell by 16.8 percent, to 79.1 million tons.