Rostislav Shurma: the state heard Zaporizhstal

On December 7, Zaporizhstal PJSC returned part of the debt on value added tax refund in the amount of UAH 297 million, the press service of the enterprise reported on Wednesday.

“The plant was reimbursed part of the overdue VAT debt, the state heard our problem. We immediately used these funds to pay salaries to employees, to pay off debts for electricity, and resumed the construction of gas purifiers at the sinter plant, ”said Rostislav Shurma, General Director of Zaporizhstal PJSC.

At the moment, the debt of state bodies to the plant for VAT refunds according to Zaporizhstal data has decreased to the amount of 727.9 million hryvnia, including the overdue debt to the plant decreased to 525.8 million.

Previously, the plant was partially disconnected from electricity for a day and a half due to a debt to Zaporozhyeoblenergo. PJSC Zaporizhstal paid off part of the debt to the state monopoly, but was forced to temporarily suspend the implementation of the investment program for the environmental modernization of the sinter plant due to lack of funds due to the accumulated state debt to the enterprise.

PJSC "Zaporizhstal" is the largest taxpayer in Ukraine and the Zaporozhye region. At the end of 2014, PJSC Zaporizhstal transferred more than UAH 1.4 billion to the budgets of all levels, and for 10 months of 2015 - UAH 2.1 billion.

“State authorities must understand that the stable operation of the plant, like any exporting enterprise, the implementation of the program for the construction of gas purification plants of the sinter plant is possible only with timely VAT refunds and the return of the debt accumulated by the state to the plant, in full and on time”, - Shurma emphasized.