Canada’s Black Iron, implementing the investment project to create a new iron ore production facility in Kryvy Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region, Shymanivske iron ore project), has welcomed a new law on state support of investment projects with large investments in Ukraine aimed at attracting investments, lower taxes and provision of priority rights to lease state and communal land plots needed to realize an investment project.
The company said in a Thursday press release that upon a company entering into an investment agreement with Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, support can be provided in the following areas that are relevant for Black Iron to construct its Shymanivske project: lower taxes – exemption from corporate taxes for a period of time and value added tax for all new equipment imported for the project; duty exemption – no import duties need to be paid on new equipment; priority land rights – priority rights to lease state and communal land plots needed to realize the investment project; and stabilization of law – the rights and duties of the investor shall be governed by the Ukrainian laws in effect at the date the investment agreement is executed unless a new law improves the investor’s position.
For Black Iron, this could be a savings of up to nearly $170 million through a combination of reduced upfront tax/duty payments to construct the project and initial corporate tax payments.
Black Iron CEO Matt Simpson said that this is a very positive concrete measure initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attract additional investment to Ukraine that is greatly welcomed by international investors, including Black Iron, and should prove to be very effective.