ASOP insists on Tax Code amendments concerning recovery of private investors’ expenses for border checkpoints

Association of Commercial Sea Ports (ASOP) will pursue its activities to make the RF government introduce amendments into the Tax Code in order to record private investors’ expenses on maintenance, reconstruction and construction of State Border checkpoints’ facilities for the decrease of tax base applied for profit tax computation, PortNews IAA correspondent cites ASOP Executive Director Serik Zhusupov as saying at the Association’s general meeting held on Friday in St. Petersburg. 

Serik Zhusupov explained that in the majority of Russian seaports, State Border checkpoints operate on a temporary basis upon approval of state controlling authorities instead of being open in accordance with the established. Planning of federal budget allocations for maintenance, modernization, reconstruction and construction of State Border checkpoints’ facilities is impossible without proper opening of checkpoints. “This situation is typical for many ports and year by year it is getting more and more severe with hardening requirements to arrangement of checkpoints and all these requirements fall under the responsibilities of terminal operators,” Serik Zhusupov said. 

ASOP proposal on recovery of private investors’ expenses on arrangement of checkpoints were supported by Arkady Dvorkovich, Deputy Chairman of the RF Government, and Elvira Naviullina,  President adviser. According to Zhusupov, Russian Border Services Agency also supported the proposal. However, the Association failed to obtain the support from the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. The approval of the Transport Ministry may be obtained in coming days, Zhusupov said.