FTS issues draft order on deregulation of prices at Astrakhan and Makhachkala ports
The Federal Tariff Service of the Russian Federation has issued a draft order on deregulation of prices at Astrakhan and Makhachkala ports. The text is available at the unified portal for regulatory documents of the federal executive authorities.
According to the explanatory note to the draft document, the analysis conducted by the FTS shows that the market of services on loading/unloading of dry cargo carriers at seaports Astrakhan and Makhachkala has the signs of transfer from the natural monopoly to the competitive market while the market of services on loading/unloading of crude oil/ oil products does not have such signs.
Basing on the analysis, FTS of Russia considers it possible to change the regulation (not to apply price regulation) in respect of natural monopolies providing services on loading/unloading/storage of cargo (except for crude and oil products) as well as providing berths at seaports Astrakhan and Makhachkala of the Caspian Basin.
However, those entities are not excluded from the list of natural monopolies in the transport sector subject to state regulation and control. They will be obliged to provide information on rates applied quarterly (annually).