Today, at a meeting of the executive committee, information on the results of an analysis of the salary level of employees of chain grocery markets of the Lviv City Territorial Community was reviewed.
As reported by Iryna Kulinych, director of the Department of Economic Development of the LMR, 7 large chains of grocery stores were taken into analysis. According to the results, it was found that the “Blyzenko” network continues to violate the labor legislation – it does not officially hire all employees, pays wages at the minimum level, and therefore does not pay the appropriate tax on the income of individuals to the city budget. Even last year, the mayor’s office sent more than 20 appeals to all law enforcement agencies, so that they would respond.
“Every year, we analyze the level of wages of employees of chain grocery markets in Lviv: “Ashan”, “Metro”, “Silpo”, “Arsen”, “ATB”, “Rukavychka” and “Blyzenko”.
The first three are the largest market players. Their personal income tax for 2021 and half of 2022 amounted to UAH 52 million. I would like to emphasize that this is a tax that the networks paid to the city budget. The average salary of their employees is from UAH 15,000.
The second group of stores – “Arsen”, “ATB”, “Rukavychka” – have a personal income tax of UAH 47 million. The average salary is from UAH 12,000.
Instead, “Blyzenko” paid only UAH 12.4 million in tax, and the average salary is slightly more than UAH 6,000. At the same time, the “Blyzenko” chain has more than 110 stores and is actively opening new ones,” said Iryna Kulinych, director of the economic development department of the LMR.
For a correct analysis, the results of similar networks “Blyzenko” and “Rukavychka” were compared.
Thus, starting in 2020, wages at Rukavychka increased from UAH 9,900 to UAH 12,600. At “Blyzenko” – from UAH 4,200 to UAH 6,949. That is, in “Blyzenko” stores, official wages have been paid at the minimum level for many years.
Almost 3,000 employees are officially registered in the 62 operating “Rukavychki” stores, and almost three times less are officially employed in the 110 “Blyzenko” stores. Interestingly, 62 “Rukavychka” stores paid three times more personal income tax than “Blyzenko” stores.
In view of all these violations, the City Hall sent more than 20 appeals to various state authorities. In particular, letters were sent to the Regional State Administration, the Department of State Labor, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the government, the police, which opened a criminal case, the tax office, etc.
As noted by Oksana Yezerska, acting, present at the meeting of the executive committee of the LMR. head of the Main Department of State Labor in Lviv Region, after receiving a letter from the City Hall, their department inspected the retail outlets of the “Blyzenko” network. 559 officially unregistered workers in the Blyzenko network were found.
“In this situation, probably the most important thing is that employees who work in the “Blyzenko” network will later apply for pension insurance, and their pension will be several thousand less than it should be in reality.
But if the network “Blyzenko” paid official wages in the amount of at least 10 thousand UAH, then we would receive an additional 36 million UAH to the city budget. And this in our time – 120 jeeps for the Armed Forces from the city, or more than 700 sets of protection for the military. At such a time, evading the payment of official taxes is, as far as I’m concerned, a crime,” Iryna Kulinych believes.
The mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovy, thanked all conscientious managers of food supermarkets, and called non-payment of taxes during the war looting.
“How to react when all networks pay taxes and one does not? In my opinion, during wartime, not paying taxes is looting. Therefore, I thank everyone who works decently for the benefit of our state. Now we have one goal – that our armed forces have everything they need. For this, we need to fill the budget and help our military,” the mayor of Lviv emphasized.
video: Andriy Andruh
Lviv City Council: https://city-adm.lviv.ua/news/economy/292276-merezha-minimarketiv-blyzenko-nedosplatyla-do-miskoho-biudzhetu-shchonaimenshe-36-mln-hrn