"Gray" grain exports in Ukraine, according to various estimates, are now about 30-35%. The president of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), Leonid Kozachenko, told UNN in an exclusive commentary on the issue.
I would say that, indeed, "gray" exports are a big problem. It reached more than 50% a year ago, now it has been somewhat reduced, but according to various estimates, it is about 30-35%
The expert explained that "gray" exports occur when companies do not pay VAT. Also, when they buy goods for cash and the budget does not receive 20% - this is also a "gray" export. In addition, the transportation of illegal products across the border is also considered a "gray" export.
"There are schemes when they use foreign companies that supposedly buy (goods - ed.) here, but they buy, as a rule, the products that are sold to them without paying VAT. To register a foreign company today, you need a maximum of 2 weeks. You open a company and also switch to these schemes. This is an issue that everyone is talking about, but for some reason there are no radical changes," Kozachenko added.
In order to improve the situation, according to the expert, it is necessary to punish officials who issue fictitious documents for money. In addition, according to Kozachenko, companies involved in gray exports should also be punished.
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Earlier UNN told how the scheme of "gray" grain exports works. To do this, dishonest entrepreneurs, in particular, use "risky" enterprises. One example is the grain terminal "Olympex", which is still almost the only gate for "gray" exports.
In particular, in January 2021, law enforcers were interested in a number of companies involved in grain export and associated with GNT Group of Odessa businessmen Serhiy 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, inter alia, 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 shipped these grains, according to media reports, 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.