You're reading: Ukrnafta’s debt on payment of royalty exceeds Hr 1.6 billion, says fiscal service

The debt of public joint-stock company Ukrnafta on payment of royalties for the use of deposits to the state exceeded Hr 1.6 billion as of January 2015, Head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine Ihor Bilous said at a press conference in Kyiv on Jan. 23.

“Ukrnafta has not paid in full, they have a debt of near Hr 1.6 billion for royalties. The rest of the sum was paid,” he said.

The fiscal service said that the total debt of the company was Hr 2.4 billion, and UAH 700 million had been paid.

As reported, referring to Bilous in Nov. 2014, Prosecutor General’s Office in Sumy region has opened criminal proceedings against a fact of non-payment of royalties during extraction of fossil fuel by Ukrnafta.

“Now we have the largest debt for Sumy region – Hr 1.1 billion and the tax service is checking this… We’re arresting property. We don’t arrest people, and they receive notifications for examinations,” he said.

He said that similar cases on the non-payment of royalties by Ukrnafta could be opened in other regions.

He also said that representatives of Ukrnafta explain the non-payment of dividends to the national budget for 2011-2013 by claims against national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy on gas extracted by the company.