Finance Ministry said to consider zero oil-export tax in 2018 Move would eliminate duty-free oil benefits for Belarus Vladimir Putin’s government is considering shifting the burden of oil taxes from the point of export to the point of extraction, a move that would eliminate the benefit of duty-free supplies enjoyed by neighboring Belarus and Kazakhstan, according to two officials familiar with the matter. The nation’s Finance Ministry is assessing a plan to reduce to zero Russia’s oil-export duty from 2018, while increasing the tax on crude extraction, said two government officials, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The move will bring additional budget revenue, one of the people said. While the proposal is not intended to raise the overall tax burden on oil supplies, it would increase the price paid by members of the Eurasian Economic Union, especially Belarus, another official said. Russia’s shipments […]