Customs service denies information about delays with customs clearance of Rompetrol-Ukraine's fuel

Ukraine's State Customs Service has denied information about delays with the customs clearance of Rompetrol-Ukraine LLC's fuel and lubricants.

As the customs service's press service reported on Tuesday, there was an application for the customs clearance of a batch of 2 million kg of motor petrol which is to be delivered to Rompetrol-Ukraine LLC.

"The Kherson customs office took samples of the cargo to verify whether its physicochemical characteristics coincide with those written in the shipping documents... After the conclusions were drawn December 11, 2012, the Kherson customs office conducted the customs clearance of the abovementioned batch of products," reads the report.

According to the report, the Kherson customs office is currently working with some other batches of similar commodities belonging to this enterprise.

"However, they haven't been accepted for customs clearance so far and funds for their registration haven't been transferred to the Kherson customs office's deposit account," reads the statement.

As was reported, Rompetrol's management announced it might give up all development plans in Ukraine, and the company does not rule out that it could completely abandon the Ukrainian fuel market.

"Rompetrol does not see the possibility for further development in Ukraine. The customs service ignores all our attempts to pass customs clearance. The complicated situation forces us to think about the future development of all plans to sell fuel in Ukraine. Taking into account plans to sign agreements in joint venture with Naftogaz Ukrainy, we expected that we'd have some advantages, and we didn't expect to see shady customs clearance schemes in Ukraine," Commercial Director of Rompetrol-Ukraine LLC (Odesa) Kyrylo Zakhovavko said in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Zakhovavko said that all projects planned for realization in Ukraine are being discussed with the leadership of Rompetrol and the Kazakh government (Rompetrol belongs to Kazakh company KazMunayGas).

"There is a great likelihood that all investment, planned at $1 billion, will be redirected to such markets as Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria in the near future," he said, adding that the company does not rule out that it could completely abandon the Ukrainian market.

He said that problems with customs clearance of Rompetrol-Ukraine's fuel were initiated by officials of the central board of the State Customs Service of Ukraine.

"The chief of the Kherson customs service said that the order not to pass petrol of Rompetrol was given from Kyiv – by the State Customs Service. They will be dismissed if they do not fulfill the order," Zakhovavko said.

As reported, in early November Rompetrol, Socar Energy Ukraine and KLO faced delays with the customs clearance of imported petrol. Rompetrol has been awaiting for the customs clearance of 15,000 tonnes of petrol since November 7, 2012. Other operators have managed to settle the problem.

Earlier the State Customs Service from suspended customs clearance for petrol imports from October 19 to 23. This affected all the main suppliers: OKKO, WOG, Parallel, ASI-Oil, KLO, and other major fuel suppliers.

The Ukrainian Fuel Traders Association says the delays in clearing petrol imports may be due to the subsequent introduction of a special importer to the market with exclusive customs clearance rights.

The State Customs Service denies there are any problems with customs procedures for petrol imports.