The Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine is against the cancellation of benefits for domestic chemical and mining and metallurgical companies, Sergey Grishchenko, Ukraine's deputy minister of industrial policy, has stated.
In addition, Mr. Grishchenko stated that the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers intends to examine the balance of interests of chemical and mining and metallurgical companies on the one hand and of the state monopolies (rail, gas and electricity) on the other.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, Ukrainian Railways, Ukraine's national gas company Naftogaz and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine lately asked the Ukrainian government to cancel its decision No. 925, dated October 14, 2008, stating that as a result of the measures involved they were threatened with disastrous consequences. According to decision No. 925, the surcharge on natural gas prices was annulled and railway transportation tariffs and electricity supply prices were frozen for mining and metallurgical companies in Ukraine.
Currently, Ukrainian steelmakers are operating at 60 percent of their capacities, and in 2009 are expected to produce about 27-28 million mt of steel.