"We have nothing but oil: neither plants, nor factories. We want to build an oil refinery."
Chechen parliament asked the Russian government to increase the republic?s 49 percent interest in Grozneftegaz, a regional branch of Rosneft Oil Company to 51 percent.
Chechen Industry Minister Amadi Temishev said that republic needs a controlling package to boost its economic growth.
Currently controlling stake is held by Russia's state-controlled Rosneft Oil Company. The license to develop local deposits also belongs to the federal company as the holder of controlling interests. All decisions on the operation of company itself and Chechnya?s oil sector as a whole are made in Moscow.
All earnings and taxes also go to Moscow to be then partially returned to Chechnya.
Industry and Energy Minister Temishev told the paper: ?We have nothing but oil: neither plants, nor factories. We want to build an oil refinery. Chechnya used to produce up to 80 kinds of hydrocarbon products. The entire sector employed up to 200,000 people. Now their numbers could hardly reach 3,000.?
Chechen government also accuses Rosneft of being overly cynical to oil extraction in the region, saying it only cares about its profits.
