"We should gain control over BSC" - Head of Bashkiria Radiy Khabirov

The Head of Bashkiria, Radiy Khabirov, proposed to return control over the Bashkir Soda Company (BSC) to the republic increasing its share in the authorized capital to a controlling stake. On August 19, the Head of the Region stated this in an interview with the "Ekho Moskvy" (Echo of Moscow) editor-in-chief Alexey Venediktov.

"The enterprise needs to be saved. If the shareholders of the enterprise do not see it this way, we must take responsibility for it, and I must take responsibility for it as a shareholder, as a republic (38.28% stake in BSC belongs to the Republic of Bashkortostan - editor's note). We should gain control over the enterprise; we should take a controlling stake by buying out a certain share (up to a controlling stake). Besides, in the course of managing the enterprise, as local people who understand what is happening here, we will decide its future. This is a fairly profitable enterprise; we make good profits from it as a state too. In this case, the transfer of the controlling stake to us and the reasonable management of the enterprise in the future can lead to a reduction in dividends, but they can be directed to the development of the enterprise, its modernization," Khabirov said.

At the same time, Radiy Khabirov noted that in the case of transferring control over the BSC to the republic, its further development would be planned on alternative sources of raw materials.

Besides, the Head of the Republic was skeptical about the BSC management statement that if the production of new raw materials was not started in 2024, the enterprise would be closed, and there was very little time left for exploration and the start of development.