Ukraine now needs to fill its budget. However, even the war does not stop corrupt officials and some businessmen before using tax evasion schemes, including gray exports of grain, for their own enrichment. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary UNN economic expert Andriy Novak.
Today it is no secret that there are still large tax evasion schemes in Ukraine, large corruption schemes at the Ukrainian customs. And even the war, let's say, does not give both corrupt officials and businessmen the understanding that now the country needs to be supported by everyone who can and who can do what they can. And filling the budget, both central and local, is what Ukraine needs now very much
According to him, gray exports at customs still continue to work, as there are interested officials who use their official position and even in times of war do not shy away from making money from these schemes.
"Therefore, on the one hand it is necessary to fight against specific corrupt officials, officials, and the companies involved, and on the other hand to make the legislation tougher than tax evasion. Penalties for unpaid taxes should be several times higher than the amount not paid to the budget. Then it will be a serious incentive to pay honestly than to get caught and pay several times more,” Novak believes.
Recall
Earlier UNN reported that in January 2021 law enforcers were interested in a number of companies involved in grain exports and associated with GNT Group Odessa businessmen Sergei Groza and Vladimir Naumenko. LLC “Ferko”, LLC “Metalsukrane Corp LTD”, LLC “Grain Reloading Complex ‘Inzernoexport’ and enterprise ‘Vtormetexport’, belonging to GNT Group, actively used the requisites” risky” companies for export operations. In the course of the investigation, the territorial department of the BEB in the Odessa region identified at least three such “risky” enterprises: AUTSTAFF 19 LLC, ALISENTA TRADE LLC, and SOLTEK PRODUCT LLC. In addition, the investigation found that the exported grain was stored, among other things, in the warehouses of Olympex Coupe International LLC - which is also controlled by Groza and Naumenko.
Based on the results of the investigation, law enforcers found that none of the mentioned “risky” enterprises had no proof of purchase of grains that were planned to be exported - more than 2 thousand tons of corn, barley, wheat (this is only what was found by law enforcers during the searches). In addition, all these enterprises violated the requirements of financial and tax reporting, demonstrated zero profitability, and understated profit tax.
According to law enforcers' calculations, Groza and Naumenko's companies caused almost UAH 37.5m damage to the state within the framework of this criminal case alone. At the same time, the exporter of “gray” grain was Agiros LLC, which belongs to a well-known smuggler Vadim Alperin, against whom the SNBO imposed sanctions in 2021 and who was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship. And shipping these grains, according to media reports, was another company controlled by Groza and Naumenko, “Attollo Granum.”
This criminal proceeding is currently still under investigation.
Another criminal proceedinginvolving Groza and Naumenko's company, Olympex Coupe International LLC, is being investigated by the territorial department of the Kyiv City BEB. It was opened a year later, in 2022, but also concerns “gray” grain exports.
The case is being investigated under articles on tax evasion, forgery of documents for state registers, legalization (laundering) of proceeds of crime and illegal handling of weapons or ammunition.
The scheme used by Groza and Naumenko's company is identical to the one used earlier, only the names of the fictitious companies differ, and not all of them. In particular, it includes AUTSTAFF 19 LLC mentioned in another criminal proceeding.
In addition to this company, they also used the “risky” companies EXPRESS ALL and AGROTRANS-GROUP. With their help, according to the investigation, at least 40,000 tons of grain and oilseeds disappeared from the terminal in 2023.