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Japanese Firms Now Own Emission Quotas Purchased by Interblue
Wednesday 24 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The carbon-dioxide emission quotas sold by Slovakia to the Interblue Group have ended up in possession of four Japanese companies. It's obvious from what former Interblue Group project manager Rastislav Bilas said at a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Bilas, the purchased quotas were re-sold to another party at approximately €8 per ton.
Bilas regards the trade between Slovakia and Interblue Group as "strictly normal", saying that no law has been broken and his assertion can be proven. Bilas rejects suspicion that the company he worked for is affiliated with any political party, although he conceded that he has known Slovak National Party (SNS) Chairman Jan Slota for a long time.
According to Bilas, Slovakia's emission quotas on sale were viewed by potential buyers as not exactly a hot item, because Slovakia didn't have the so-called GIS, a scheme specifying the green investments (including insulation projects, for example) on which money from the sale should be used. "That was the main reason why all potential buyers turned on a dime and never came back." The upshot regarding the so-called green investments is another bone of contention between Interblue and the Slovak Government, which is convinced that €15 should be forthcoming.
Bilas thinks that the Government-led insulation project even now lacks features required for such a scheme. He also said that he had a feeling as if Slovakia wasn't interested in selling the quotas at all. He said he was "astounded" to see Slovakia coming with a contract later on.
The former Interblue Group manager cast doubts over an allegation that Slovakia has suffered a loss of €66 million in the sale.
In 2008, Slovakia sold 15 million tons of the emission quotas on carbon-dioxide to Interblue Group at €5.05 per tonne. According to the contract, the company has dibs on additional 35 million tons. The trade has been criticised by the Opposition over its terms unfavourable to Slovakia and the fact that the company was based in garage, a claim that Bilas rejects as untrue.
The emission quotas scandal was the main reason behind Premier Fico's decision to strip SNS of the Environment Ministry, originally guaranteed to SNS by the Coalition Agreement. Fico temporarily appointed Vice-Premier Dusan Caplovic (a Smer-SD nominee) to head up the Ministry, only to be replaced later by current Environment Minister Jozef Medved (Smer-SD).
On January 12, Medved reported that the Interblue Group has transferred its rights to the Interblue Group Europe, based in Switzerland.
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