Alexander Kamyshin has led Ukrzaliznytsia since August 2021. But Kamyshin from UZ is too busy to answer journalists //Photo: https://www.facebook.com/Ukrzaliznytsia</p
Oleksandr Kamyshin, Chairman of the Board of the Joint Stock Company “Ukrzaliznytsia” and/or his subordinates hide information about the use of subsoil, which is the property of the Ukrainian people according to Article 13 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
Specifically, the results of Ukrzaliznytsia quarry activities are being concealed, which even before the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, caused damage worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias and was the subject of numerous law enforcement investigations. This was reported by NADRA.INFO news agency with a link.
On September 14, 2022, we sent an official request to the Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia Alexander Kamyshin (scanned copy below). Among other things, we asked for:
- How many and what type of valid special permits does Ukrzaliznytsia have?
- How many minerals were extracted in 2021 and the first half of 2022?
- What are the production and financial results of Ukrzaliznytsia in 2021 and the first half of 2022?
- How much crushed stone was produced and at what prices was it sold?
- How much rent did the company pay for the use of subsoil?
- Does Ukrzaliznytsia still plan to privatize the quarries — or have the company's previous plans changed?
- Who in the management of Ukrzaliznytsia is specifically responsible for efficient management of the company's quarry?
Alexander Kamyshin from UZ is too busy to respond to journalists
Alexander Kamyshin from UZ no time to answer journalists
From the first ten days of October, the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia assured us that the answers to our questions would be ready and provided. We were promised a response to our information request almost every week.
In the end, perhaps the only thing we were told was that Yevgeny Shramko, a responsible board member, is apparently in charge of managing the quarry economy in the leadership of Ukrzaliznytsia. They say that he coordinates the activities of the Industry Control Center branch, which manages quarries, and is headed by Alexei Osman. At the same time, it seemed that Ukrzaliznytsia officials are concerned about our issues, and some of them believe that they cannot provide information, justifying the martial law regime (in force in Ukraine due to the war unleashed by the Russian Federation).
We asked for answers to questions that can be answered. For the rest, we requested clarity on the legal basis for refusing to provide information for each item. We were assured a response to the request by the end of the working day on November 10, 2022.
Unfortunately, we have not received any official response from Ukrzaliznytsia regarding the quarry activities for almost two months.
With deep gratitude and respect for the significant role that the friendly professional team of Ukrzaliznytsia has played, continues to play and, no doubt, will play in saving citizens and businesses, restoring the economy of our State, we consider it unacceptable to hide the results of subsoil use – hiding behind the regime. Since the unprofitability of the quarry economy of a state company ultimately places an additional financial burden on the state budget, on every private company and every citizen.
It's also terrible that the outcomes of quarrying in Ukrzaliznytsia are kept secret even after the statement of the Bureau of Economic Security, which was released on September 21, 2022 – a week after we sent our request.
As we mentioned before, a division of one of the state joint-stock companies in BEB were suspected of not paying UAH 1.3 billion in taxes. The characteristics mentioned in the Bureau's announcement suggest that the Industrial Control Center (MCC) branch is being referred to, which is responsible for providing crushed stone, sand, sleepers, and other products to critical infrastructure enterprises.
We are repeating the BEB release:
“…The branch declared losses of UAH 324 million and UAH 51.7 million in previous years, respectively. However, they only completed half of their annual plans for extracting crushed stone products.
After monitoring market prices, BEB analysts discovered that the branch arranged agreements for supplying crushed stone products to storage facilities without an auction and at prices that were three times lower than market prices. These storage facilities then sold the products, including to state-owned enterprises, at market prices.
It was also found that in 2020, there were agreements for supplying crushed stone products with over 100 storage facilities, reaching a total of over UAH 1.4 billion, and in 2021, the total amount was about UAH 180 million, which is 8 times less than in 2020.
The branch may have lost a probable income of more than UAH 3.4 billion, and the unpaid taxes (VAT and corporate income tax) to the state revenue may be more than UAH 1.3 billion.
Let's remember the quarry activities of Ukrzaliznytsia and the company's plans in 2020-2021 to privatize some mining facilities as non-core assets, as NADRA.INFO reported in the following materials:
- Ukrzaliznytsia will not offer all its quarries for privatization
- Ukrzaliznytsia’s costly quarries: they can't be kept for sale
- —UAH 200 mln. Ukrzaliznytsia revealed quarry losses for the first time
- The fate of Ukrzaliznytsia's quarries will be determined by the Supervisory Board
- Ukrzaliznytsia's most unprofitable quarries. Who is accountable for them?
By the way, NADRA.INFO is asking Oleksandr Kamyshin to respond to our inquiries regarding the results of Ukrzaliznytsia's subsoil use. Or does Alexander Kamyshin from UZ not have time to answer journalists?
Ukrzaliznytsia increased the price of bolts that were in stock before the invasion by 2.5 times
Ukrzaliznytsia wants to purchase rail fasteners for 78 million rubles, but under conditions against Ukrainian manufacturers
