The Supreme Administrative Court rejected a request by “Lukoil Neftohim Burgas” not to pay the full amount of the nearly BGN 70 million charged to it by the state for December from the difference in the price of Russian crude oil and that of the “Brent” variety, while it is decided on the merits the legal dispute whether this should be the amount or if it is nearly BGN 24.6 million less than required.
According to the decision announced on Friday, the refinery must pay everything, and the court does not consider that the money in question, claimed to be in excess, will cause the company significant and difficult to repair damage in this amount, as claimed in the complaint of “Lukoil Neftokhim”.
The ruling can be appealed with a private appeal before a five-member panel of the SAC, which the oil refinery will probably do. In addition, the Supreme Magistrates have yet to consider the dispute between Lukoil and the Ministry of Economy.
It is about the order of the Minister of Economy and Industry, Bogdan Bogdanov, dated January 15, which determines the amount of funds for the difference in the prices of the two types of varieties, owed by the refinery for December 2023. The money is paid into the Electricity System Security Fund and are provided for transport compensations of up to BGN 300, as it was decided by the government that around 300,000 vulnerable families with children will receive one time.
It turns out that “Lukoil” and the Ministry of Economy have calculated different amounts, and the refinery has paid in advance the estimated amount of about BGN 45 million. Later, the order for nearly BGN 70 million due is issued, and now the difference of about BGN 24.6 million
According to the department, the oil company used in its calculations lower average monthly Brent prices from sources other than those cited by the ministry. The three exchanges, whose data it takes, comply with the legal requirements for the formation of this contribution.
According to the refinery, if it pays the requested additional funds, it will suffer economic damages and wants to stop the execution of the order, but the court does not accept this.
“In this case, the protection of the private interest of the applicant cannot be opposed to the public interest, since the act protects extremely important public relations,” the definition reads.
