According to him, the company "Kyrgyzneftegaz," founded in 1952 and engaged in oil extraction, used to send the extracted oil to Uzbekistan for refining into gasoline and diesel during Soviet times. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this process ceased, and in Kyrgyzstan, where there was no own oil refinery, the volumes of processing remained limited.
In 1996, a subsidiary company "Kyrgyz Petroleum Company" was established, which began oil processing within the country. However, due to the technical characteristics of the equipment, the plant produced only AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel.
After Kyrgyzstan joined the Customs Union, fuels of Euro standards, including AI-92, AI-95, and AI-98, mainly imported from Russia, began to dominate the domestic market. This led to a decrease in demand for local AI-80 gasoline, as noted in the statement.
“Since 2021, ‘Kyrgyzneftegaz’ and ‘Kyrgyz Petroleum Company’ have come under the control of Kamchybek Tashiev, and his nephew Baigazy Matisakov was appointed as the head of the enterprise. During this time, according to the Tax Service, a corruption scheme was implemented, leading to significant financial losses,” Orunbekov stated.
He also clarified that the crude oil extracted by "Kyrgyzneftegaz" was supposed to be processed at the "Kyrgyz Petroleum Company," and the revenues from the sale of petroleum products were to go to the state budget.
However, private intermediary companies associated with the Tashiev family intervened in the process. Although processing was carried out at the state plant, the finished products were sold through affiliated structures, and it is claimed that the main profits did not reach the state authorities, the statement noted.
Moreover, AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel, which were not in demand in the domestic market, were sold to two large local oil traders. These companies were forced to mix local fuel with higher-quality fuel from Russia and sell it on the market.
After Kamchybek Tashiev left his position, the purchases of AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel by these companies ceased, leading to the accumulation of fuel stocks at "Kyrgyz Petroleum Company" warehouses. In this regard, the government decided to temporarily allow the export of locally produced AI-80 gasoline and diesel fuel.
It is expected that the products manufactured at the "Junda" and "Kyrgyz Petroleum Company" enterprises will be supplied to Tajikistan and Afghanistan, while the export of Euro-standard fuel from Russia will not take place.
Currently, the state has initiated the modernization of "Kyrgyz Petroleum Company," which is expected to be completed within two years. After the upgrade, the plant will be able to produce Euro-standard fuel and supply the domestic market,” Orunbekov added.
