“One continuous risk zone” – Kommersant FM

Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov criticized the revision of the results of privatization in Russia. He stated this in an interview with RBC at the Eastern Economic Forum. Earlier, Alexander Shokhin voiced a similar opinion. According to the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, such actions by the authorities do not contribute to stability in the country. Currently, there are dozens of lawsuits filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office demanding the seizure of certain assets in favor of the state. Kommersant FM political commentator Dmitry Drize considers what is happening to be a natural development of events.

What has been talked about for so long, and what others have demanded, has finally happened – deprivatization has begun in Russia. Not yet on a massive scale, but nevertheless, it is already known about several dozen lawsuits filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office, and about one positive court decision, which decided to seize in favor of the state 94.2% of the shares of one of the largest producers of formalin and methanol in Russia – the company “ Metafrax Chemicals.”

The wording is as follows: “in connection with illegal privatization in the nineties.” Then, according to the supervisory agency, various violations occurred, and what do we see now? The company is owned by businessmen from the USA.

Okay, let’s say this can be understood theoretically: tit for tat, they take us, and we take them. But the Prosecutor General’s Office proposes to confiscate shares of the generating company Sibeko from Andrei Melnichenko’s structures. What is the reason? The asset was purchased from former minister and entrepreneur Mikhail Abyzov, who has been in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center since 2019.

The supervisory agency sees a violation of the law here, they say, Mr. Abyzov shoved the papers, so to speak, out of friendship, and benefited from it. But in the end it turns out that the buyer will suffer from this.

However, we won’t look further into this. We are leaving for Vladivostok, where the Eastern Economic Forum is taking place.

The main defender of the business community, Alexander Shokhin, in an interview with RBC, made it clear that such actions by the authorities do not contribute to maintaining stability in the state, but rather the opposite, since any businessman risks being blacklisted. So what should we do then? That’s right – sell the goods and go to the cash. It’s safer this way, but this prospect is very similar to dispossession.

The head of the RSSP was supported by the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov. In his opinion, what is happening “is a road to nowhere.” There are no more red lines, you can’t protect yourself. One continuous risk zone.

Indeed, it’s a merry-go-round: sanctions here, deprivatization here. A reason for the rich to finally cry. Moreover, it seems that no one will feel sorry for you.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shokhin is wondering about the future fate of the seized property: “Is it being transferred into trust for the right people, “good” entrepreneurs from some circle? Or is it being put up for privatization?”

Let us venture to suggest that the first thesis is more probable, in fact, the second one too, but only as a mechanism for this very transmission.

In this regard, it seems that the main issue for business today is that in order to be appointed “good”, you need to get on the coveted lists. By the way, this is not only relevant for business. But it is not a fact that the wind will not change: today you are good, and tomorrow – you understand.

---

Everything is clear with us – Telegram channel “Kommersant FM”.