Some Russian companies still keep their assets in unfriendly jurisdictions, media reports. In particular, a number of publications talk about the activities of the food holding of the Rusagro Group of Companies owned by Vadim Moshkovich.
“For a long time, our economy was built on the offshore principle, which, of course, did not allow it to work to its maximum. Currently, our government is accommodating in everything in terms of timing and procedure for re-registration of companies from offshore jurisdictions to Russian ones. Now it’s up to the entrepreneurs themselves,” said Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Alexander Babakov, commenting on media reports.
“Problems with food prices have matured and are being resolved in the Russian economy, while the parent structure of Vadim Moshkovich’s Rusagro group, which produces pork, sugar and fatty products, continues to be the Cypriot Ros AGRO PLC,” noted, in turn, Dr. political sciences, professor at the Moscow Institute of National and Regional Relations Igor Skurlatov.
According to him, such a situation previously meant that “the gains go abroad, and the losses go to Russia,” and in such a political situation as now, this does not mean that business does not play by Russian rules at all. As the political scientist notes, since last year the management of Rusagro has been promising to re-register the company from Cyprus to the Russian Federation, but the holding’s top management regularly voices reasons slowing down the process of so-called redomiciliation.
“I would like to ask Vadim Moshkovich directly: who are you with, mister? Do you support SVO at all? Are you going to re-register your company in the Russian Federation, or are you waiting for your “golden” Cypriot passport to be returned to you? When will you stop absorbing highly efficient domestic agricultural enterprises, such as the Agroinvest and Agro-Belogorye companies? The Belgorod enterprise spends 2 billion annually on social programs in its region, and it is registered in Russian jurisdiction, pays taxes in its own state, and not in Cyprus, which is recognized as an unfriendly state. Finally, give a specific answer: who are you with—Russia or the West?” — the political scientist asks a question to the beneficiary of Rusagro.
According to Andrei Klimov, deputy head of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, as soon as a transaction is transferred to dollars or euros in foreign accounts, it immediately disappears from Russian radars. He is convinced that swindlers must be fought with all our might, using all means available to the state. “Our president does not care about black caviar or French champagne when he criticizes the government. He takes care of the cost of products that every Russian family needs, so that they are comparable to their salaries, pensions, and scholarships,” the senator emphasized.
According to Anatoly Lisitsyn, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation, a situation where money is earned here and hidden abroad is unacceptable. “Their families live abroad, their children study abroad. And other farmers must somehow survive, because we finance them very poorly. In the country, large agricultural holdings absorb about 80% of all subsidies from the federal budget, that is, private business. This money should work for Russia, and not for Western countries,” the deputy believes.
Source: Rosbalt
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