EBA warns “Ukrzaliznytsia” against risky changes in tariff policy
The European Business Association (EBA) expressed serious concern over the intentions of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” to introduce differentiated increase coefficients for tariffs for cargo transportation in the direction of individual seaports. Representatives of the logistics business consider the initiative unfounded and one that may negatively affect competition, export potential, and the national economy.
The Logistics Committee of the EBA believes that this practice contradicts the principles of equal access to infrastructure, and also creates risks of violation of antimonopoly legislation. The establishment of different tariffs depending on the direction violates the logic of tariff formation, enshrined in the Law “On Natural Monopolies”, which refers to the need to take into account economically justified costs, depreciation, taxes, transportation distance, etc.
According to the Charter of Railways of Ukraine, service consumers are shippers, not sea ports, therefore the tariff policy should be based on an equal approach to all customers, and not on administrative “equalization” of conditions between directions.
The EBA also emphasizes that the UZ tariff collection already takes into account the distance, so the introduction of additional coefficients on individual routes creates unreasonable barriers for business.
