The projects of SZLK, completed since 1997 – 2008
- 1997-1999 – reconstruction and modernisation of the previously non-function-able KFOB. The cost of the project – 300 million rubles.
- 1999-2000 – reconstruction and modernisation of NCBK.
The cost of the project – 400 million rubles.
- 2001-2002 – construction of the fabric producing notebooks in Kamenogorsk. The main equipment suppliers are German companies: “E.C.H.WILL”, “Bielomatik”, “Kugler”.
The cost of the project – 250 million rubles. Production capacity – 500 million notebooks per year.
- 2002-2003 – construction of the water cleaning systems at NCBK. Equipment comes from Austrian company “KWI”.The cost of the project – 150 million rubles.
- 2004 – construction of BDM-8 – fabric producing fat and water resistant paper at NCBK. Production capacity – 20 000 tons per year.Cost of the project – 200 million rubles.
- 2004 – construction of the bark utilisation boiler-house at NCBK for burning the wood waste.
The cost of the project – 150 million rubles.
- 2004-2005 – construction of fabric recycling the waste paper at KFOB. The equipment comes from French company “Kadant-Lamourt“.
The cost of the project – 450 million rubles.
- 2004-2006 – construction of 3rd paper fabric at NCBK. The paper production machine comes from German company “VOIT”. The production capacity – 60 000 tons per year of office paper.
The cost of the project – 2,1 billion rubles.
- 2005-2007 – construction of mill producing bleached pulp (TCF) at Neman. The main equipment comes from Canadian company “GLV”. Production capacity – 200 000 tons per year.
The cost of the project – 2,8 billion rubles.
- 2004-2007 – construction of gas pipes and gas distribution stations in Neman and Kamenogorsk. Replacement of oil-fired boilers to gas boilers, which allowed to increase the production by twice.
The cost of the project – 150 million rubles.
- 2007-2008 – construction of new 4th paper fabric in Neman, that produces coated paper. Production capacity – 200 000 tons per year. The cost of main equipment is 1,4 billion rubles.The overall cost of the project – 3 billion rubles. The construction was stopped because of thereider attack by the governmental banks.
- 2007-2008 – new typography in Neman. The main equipment comes from German company “KBA – Rapida“. The cost of the project – 150 million rubles.
Relationships between SZLK and the 3 largest state-banks in Russia: Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank
2000 – receiving 1 credit from Sberbank on the sum of 20 million rubles in order to reconstruct and modernise NCBK.
2002 – Sberbank names SZLK as a VIP-client.
March 2004 – signing of the General Agreement to finance the project of construction of new pulp and paper fabrics in Neman and Kamenogorsk.
The cost of the project – 450 million U.S. Dollars. The length of the Agreement – 10 years.
January 2005 – giving to SZLK only 6,2 % from the promised amount (25 million dollars) Sberbank stops financing without any explanations. Chairman of the Board of Sberbank – Leonid Shatz asks Igor Bitkov for a private conversation and demands that Mr.Bitkov transfers 51% of shares to the private company of Mr.Shatz – “Globus-Lizing”, only then Sberbank will complete its obligations to SZLK and continue to finance it. Bitkov says no.
Relationships between SZLK and the 3 largest state-banks in Russia: Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank
January 2005 – the second largest bank in Russia “VTB” on its own initiative offers to finance SZLK so that the company can finish the construction of 3rd paper fabric in Neman, and loans to SZLK 1 billion rubles. The credit line was given for a period between 10 to 15 years.
August 2005 – Canadian governmental export agency “Export Development Canada” loans to Gazprombank 22,385 million U.S. Dollars with 5% interest rate for the period of 7 years in order to pay for the equipment of Canadian company GLV that was used in construction of new pulp mill in Neman. Gazprombank transfers this money to SZLK with 11% interest rate.
24th of April 2008 – three state-banks suddenly and against any terms of the credit lines, demand that SZLK returns all its loans in a period of 48 hours, the overall amount of 2,25 billion rubles; at the same time the banks freeze all of the accounts of the company. The officials of the banks refuse any meetings with the SZLK representatives or with Bitkovs.
Who has bankrupted the SZLK Group?
During May-June of 2008, to avoid the complete loss of the cash flow because of the freezing of all the accounts of all the SZLK Group done by 3 state-owned banks, all of the directors of the SZLK board are asking courts for protection from the aggressive and illegal actions of the creditors. The courts make a decision to put the outside administration on all of the fabrics of SZLK and name the outside administrators.
How Sberbank gains control over the procedure of bankruptcy of SZLK Group?
In August 2008, offshore “Vilda Consult LTD” (which was controlled by O.Karpov since May 2008) is asking the courts to name itself as competitor creditor of OOO NCBK with a loan given to NCBK on the sum of 3,7 billion rubles, and presents fake agreement to sell the notebooks producer “Svetoch” to NCBK for 3,7 billion rubles.
11th of October 2011
VTB and Gazprombank have successfully achieved replacement of the exterior administrator D.Shurakov (who was under the control of Sberbank) to their own person – V.M.Garan. In his hands have fallen yet unsold assets of NCBK on the sum of more than 4 billion rubles. Using similar schemes, employees of VTB and Gazprombank have sold for nothing the rest of the assets to their own affiliated companies. Not only they didn’t pay back the loans to their own banks, but their have significantly increased them by stealing the assets.
Comparison of the consolidated figures of the SZLK Group and the demands of the creditors based on the data of 24.04.2008
Cash flow 2006 – 4,053 billion rubles
Cash flow 2007 – 4,89 billion rubles
EBITDA 2007 – 2,1 billion rubles (42,95%)
Cash flow (predicted) 2008 – 7 billion rubles
Cash flow (predicted) 2009 – 9 billion rubles
Cash flow (predicted) 2010 – 11 billion rubles
The cost of the assets according to the financial reports 24.04.2008 – 9,2 billion rubles
Market value in 2007 (Sberbank) – 400 million U.S. Dollars
Comparison of the consolidated figures of the SZLK Group and the demands of the creditors based on the data of 24.04.2008
In the period between 2000 to 2007 the cash flow of the company has risen from 0,7 billion rubles to 4,89 billion rubles (7 times higher) only by construction of new production facilities. For all the period of its existence SZLK has never breached its credit agreements, receiving only 12,958 billion rubles and it has paid back 9,263 billion rubles excluding the interest rate. In March 2008 SZLK has paid 500 million rubles of the credits and 57 million rubles of interest rate for coupon redemption of the bond issue.
Credit loans on 24.04.2008.
All general loans were on the sum of 4,695 billion rubles, including Gazprombank, VTB, Sberbank – 2,25 billion rubles; other banks and creditors – 1,445 billion rubles; bonds – 1 billion rubles. On 24th of April Sberbank suddenly has asked for the payment of all the loans before the deadline, within 48 hours on the sum of more than 0,9 billion rubles, using as a formal reason that SZLK was late by 5 days to pay the interest rate on the sum of 9 million rubles, which wasn’t true. SZLK’s daily profit was higher than that. The next day the same did VTB and Gazprombank asking for 1,35 billion rubles.
Until 24.04.2008:
NCBK
Everything is functioning:
– The first in Russia new mill producing bleached pulp TCF
– 3 paper fabrics produce 120,000 tons per year of various types of paper, 50% of which go for export.
– New typography machine
KFOB
Everything is functioning:
– From the waste paper are being produced 30’000 tons of white printing paper per year.
– 500 million notebooks per year are being produced.
Overall on the fabrics of SZLK Group are working more than 2000 people. SZLK is paying more than 1 billion rubles of taxes. The construction of the new 4th paper fabric in Neman is about to finish, which will allow to increase the tax payment by twice.
Now
NCBK and KFOB practically are in non-function able condition. A few dozens of people are working as guards on the fabrics. Most of the equipment was sold for almost nothing. The rest of the equipment is rusting away and becomes non-function able because no one takes care of it. Because nothing is working, neither banks, nor other creditors have a possibility to return their money.
The cities where the fabrics were build go into decay because people have nowhere to work since the fabrics have been stopped and the people were dismissed. There are also no taxes being payed from the fabrics which means that infrastructure of the cities suffers.
This analysis shows us that the only goal of the banks was to destroy the business of Bitkovs, as opposing to the return of the money.
From whom did we ask for help to stop the reider attacks?
SZLK, it’s workers and its owners have asked for help from the following people and organisations:
- President of Russian Federation – D.Medvedev (it was in 2008)
- Prime-Minister – V.Putin
- Governor of Kaliningrad’s region – G.Boos
- Governor of the Leningrad’s region – V.Serdyukov
- The Federal Assembly of Russian Federation – S.Mironov
- The State Duma – B.Grizlov
No one has answered…
Open Letter
To the President of Russian Federation
D.A. Medvedev
To the Prime Minister of Russian Federation
V.V. Putin
To the First Vice-Prime of Russian Federation
V.A. Zubkov