For only eight months - from September 2022 to April 2023 - the state -owned company "Ukrzaliznytsya" has suffered more than 15 million UAH of losses through a corruption scheme with purchases. It is about tenders for the supply of paints and linoleum, which were organized so that the victory is obtained exclusively "their" suppliers.
The first episode concerns the purchase of paints. Initially, in July 2022, Ukrzaliznytsia announced a tender with an expected value of more than UAH 37 million. However, after the proposal from a company that was not controlled by the organizers of the scheme, the purchase was canceled. Subsequently, they spent a new one - with higher prices, and without the participation of third -party companies. As a result of this manipulation, the products were purchased by almost UAH 11 million more expensive than it cost on the market. The real suppliers of the paint were Polylor and Dnipro Paints Trade LLC, which sold the materials much cheaper than they got to the state company.
In the second case, the purchase of linoleum for over 9 million hryvnias. The tender was won by 8C groups, which offered the price almost twice the market - 882 hryvnia per square meter instead of 398. The organizers of the scheme were hidden by a number of related companies, which formally acted as mediators. However, the linoleum, made by Tarkett Vinisin, was delivered directly to the customer, bypassing the "paper" chain, which only served as a tool for overestimation.
A characteristic feature of both episodes is the deliberate discredit of the competitive environment. Participation in tenders of third -party firms was excluded or blocked at the stage of submission of documents. Thus, Ukrzaliznytsia has actually lost the opportunity to buy products at fair prices, which led to significant losses.
The essence of the scheme is classic for many public procurement: a real manufacturer sells goods at one price, controlled firms overstate it at several stages, and is calculated for everything - the state. As a result, millions of budget hryvnias settle in the pockets of businessmen, which have well studied the weaknesses of the tender system.
