Approximately 5 million tons of grain per year are exported from Ukraine through "gray" exports - UKAB

Due to the fact that 95% of grain exports occur by sea, the ports have much wider opportunities for exporting "gray" grain. The estimated amount of unaccounted grain exported from Ukraine can now reach up to 5 million tons per year. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive comment by UNN Oleg Khomenko, General Director of the Ukrainian Agricultural Business Club.

"Considering that 95% of our exports are currently carried out through ports, then, of course, the opportunities there are wider (for "gray exports – ed.) than by rail. If the sea had not worked for us, then, of course, this export would have been extrapolated to the same railway," Khomenko said.

He added that "gray" exports are possible, in particular, because small agricultural enterprises cultivate land in the "shadow" and thus there is a "gray" grain that needs to be sold somewhere for cash. According to Khomenko, the estimated amount of "gray" grain can now be up to 5 million tons per year.

According to him, now the rules for grain export have become stricter – additional documents are required from exporters even before grain is exported from Ukraine. This, in particular, is aimed at combating "gray" exports. However, according to Khomenko, there is still a minor problem.

How does the "grey" export work

Companies use fictitious enterprises for "gray" exports. Such LLC companies are often called "one-dayers", because they are created for a specific operation and almost immediately closed. Usually such companies are registered on front persons. Through them, dishonest exporters sell unaccounted grain for cash, either there are no documents from the manufacturer for it, or such documents are fake.

The "grey" grain exported from Ukraine is resold several times and eventually gets to a non-resident. The funds for it are paid to another non-resident associated with the Ukrainian exporter. Or, for cash paid for Ukrainian grain, goods are purchased abroad, which are then sold in Ukraine as imported for cash. Such a company also sells a tax credit. And the budget is losing a lot of money in the form of unpaid taxes.

The scheme of using fictitious companies to export unaccounted grain also operates at the grain terminal "Olympex" in the Odessa region. Thanks to Odessa businessmen Sergey Groza and Vladimir Naumenko, it is considered the largest gateway to the "gray" grain exports.

This is confirmed, in particular, by the criminal proceedings opened against the companies controlled by Groza and Naumenko. According to law enforcement officers, enterprises from the orbit of businessmen carry out illegal formation of a tax credit, replacement of commodity items during their sale, as well as other actions aimed at tax evasion.

Recall

Earlier UNN reported that companies controlled by Groza and Naumenko have been evading taxes for years due to the "gray" grain exports from the Olympex terminal.

In addition, it became known that businessmen through their controlled LLC "Olympex Coupe International" and LLC "Atoll Granum" actively cooperate with a sub-sanctioned smuggler Vadim Alperin.

According to sources UNN in law enforcement agencies, BEB detectives on Wednesday, May 29, conducted searches at Attollo Granum in the case of "gray" exports.