Government counts on Rosneftegaz’s dividends in the amount of 95% of its profit in 2013

~~The government of Russia wants to oblige Rosneftegaz to pay 95% of its profit as dividends for the previous year that will allow it to take about 176 billion rubles from the company, the Vedomosti reports, referring to a number of federal officials.

The newspaper notes that last year the state-owned company’s profit (taking into account sale of 5.66% of Rosneft’s shares for $4.87 billion to BP and dividends of Gazprom and Rosneft) could be roughly 185 billion rubles; 95% of this profit is about 176 billion.

An official of the Ministry of Finance notes that high dividends will allow the Government to spend less of additional oil and gas incomes this year and to replenish the Reserve Fund in the case of a crisis.

Directives with amount of the dividends that must be approved by the Prime-Minister Dmitry Medvedev, will be coordinated with administration of the President and, possibly, with Vladimir Putin. “Such important issues can’t be solved without the Kremlin,” – an employee of the Government staff noted.

The Press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov reported to the edition that decisions about the Rosneftegaz’s dividends hadn’t been made yet. Press secretary of Medvedev Natalya Timakova also stated that she didn’t know about decision concerning the amount of the dividends