Ukrnafta in the Epicenter of Energy Balance?
The Naftohaz Ukrayiny (Oil & Gas of Ukraine) press center announced February 1 that the press conference with the company’s new Board Chairman Oleh Salmin will not take place due to his tight schedule.
Meanwhile, Deputy Premier Yuliya Tymoshenko previously questioned the legitimacy of Mr. Salmin’s appointment, saying that “the new chairman of Ukrnafta is still to be determined, because this calls for a general stockholders’ meeting” (courtesy of Interfax Ukraine). Moreover, she stated that the decision reappointing the previous president, Dmytro Yeher, was made without “coordination” with the Cabinet of Ministers. Ms. Tymoshenko said that consultations are underway with the author of the decision, the Naftohaz Ukrayiny National Joint Stock Company.
The Day’s experts believe confrontation continues between two key figures, allegedly balancing each other in the oil-gas sector, Ms. Tymoshenko and Naftohaz Ukrayiny Chairman Ihor Bakai. Further evidence favoring this assumption is found in
The Day’s interview with former Ukrnafta (Ukrainian Oil) Chairman Dmytro Yeher (recorded the same day Ukrnafta’s Supervisory Board resolved to fire him). Incidentally, he was awarded a gold medal of the International Personnel Academy in recognition of his administrative merits.
The Day: Why did they fire you?
D.Y.: I was not acquainted with the Supervisory Board’s resolution. I did attend the meeting and delivered my 1999 progress report. After that I was asked to wait outside and was never invited back in, not even to hear the decision. Nor do I have the minutes. But I know what I was blamed for: I had supposedly assisted with oil sales to the State Reserve at understated costs. I had, but I also had a Cabinet resolution to abide by. It says $80 per ton and the State Reserve owes the company $180 million. After that I had received instructions from the President and Premier to compute the debt over, so now there is an appropriate claim duly filed. The company suffered no losses. So what am I to be blamed for?
The Day: What about under the rug?
D.Y.: Yuliya Tymoshenko asked me to work out a draft resolution stipulating Ukrnafta’s withdrawal from the national joint stock company. Then the fight began. It was an official assignment given me by the Deputy Premier and I had to oblige, yet Ihor Bakai got hold of the documents before the Deputy Premier.
The Day: Did you try to contact her afterward?
D.Y.: Yuliya Tymoshenko considers the Supervisory Board’s decision wrong and so does the Prime Minister. Something is cooking, but I don’t know exactly what.
The Day: At that press conference Oleh Salmin was supposed to tell about Ukrnafta’s strategy and prospects.
D.Y.: Right now he can’t have any program at all. He’s only been in office for a couple of days. Of course, we have a program. It was worked out, but it has a lot of confidential information relating to inner adjustment aimed at lowering the prime cost, retaining our drilling units’ potential, improving sales, and accessing the domestic petrochemical market.
Mr. Yeher also said that he was on sick leave at the moment and planned to report for work next week, as well as to immediately sue the company.
INCIDENTALLY
Naftohaz Press Secretary Olena Shapoval, when contacted by phone, told The Day that Ihor Bakai did not explain Dmytro Yeher’s dismissal when introducing Oleh Salmin. She further referred to a statement made by Supervisory Board member Ihor Naselyk for Investitsionnaya gazeta. Among the reasons for Mr. Yeher’s ouster he mentioned Ukrnafta’s growing debts (reaching UAH 320 million) and his inflexible pricing policy.
