Finnish coffee company Paulig suspected of sham deal

Finnish coffee company Paulig suspected of sham deal

Finnish coffee company Paulig suspected of sham deal
On May 5, the Finnish company Paulig, which produced roasted coffee at a plant in the Tver region, announced its withdrawal from the Russian market and the conclusion of a deal with a private individual who wished to buy the enterprise.  However, the deal provoked protests from the public.

The head of the "Public Consumer Initiative" (PCI) Oleg Pavlov demanded that the supervisory authorities recognize the alienation of the plant as an invalid transaction.  Corresponding appeals from him were received by the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, the tax authorities and the Prosecutor General's Office.  According to Pavlov, the deal is sham and could harm the interests of the Russian Federation.
First of all, the head of the “OPI” believes, the contract for the sale of the coffee roasting plant does not include the alienation of rights to recipes and individualization tools.
It means that the know-how remains with the seller, and only the property complex of the enterprise (real estate and equipment) passes to the buyer.  The Paulig brand goods will no longer be produced at the factory.  According to Pavlov, revenues to the budget and incomes of the company's employees (about 200 people) will obviously suffer in this case.

Another reason for the displeasure of the public is the person who wished to buy the plant - Vikas Soi, who manages the activities of Milagro Beverage Company.  According to the representatives of the “OPI”, the business he headed was in direct competition with the activities of Paulig, which means that it will inevitably lead to a weakening of competition in the market and a further increase in coffee prices.

Experts of the coffee business in Russia do not agree with this.  As Ramaz Chanturia, the head of the “Roschaikofe” association, noted, there are much larger companies on the market than Milagro or Paulig.
 At the same time, until recently, they were not direct competitors, since one of them produced instant coffee (Milagro), while the other (Paulig) was engaged in roasting and production of ground coffee.
The share of Paulig among the producers of grain and ground coffee in the Russian Federation was estimated at 12%, and the share of Milagro among the producers of instant coffee ranged from 3.9 to 7%.  It means that the purchase of the plant by the head of Milagro may allow the company to slightly expand its range, experts believe.  This will definitely not lead to a decrease in competition in the market, but it may well increase it a little due to the development of the plant’s own brand.

The last argument in the public appeal was a reference to the decree of Vladimir Putin, which introduced a special procedure for foreign investment in the Russian Federation from March 2022.  For persons representing "unfriendly" states, the purchase of real estate in Russia requires separate approval from the government.

It is known that Anatoly Vyborny, the representative of the State Duma, has already hastened to join the opinion of the public.  He is called the author of the law allowing the introduction of external management in foreign enterprises.  According to Vyborny, the relevant authorities need to carefully study the deal between Paulig and Vikas Soi, which the deputy himself calls sham, repeating the arguments of the public.

17.05.2022