The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) has sold the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi seaport for UAH 108 million including VAT (approximately USD 2.6 million) at an English auction on the Prozorro platform.
“The State Property Fund’s team held four online privatization auctions in the Prozorro.Sale system, including the Belgorod-Dniester Sea Commercial Port,” the SPF press service reported on its website on Friday.
The auction was held at the 13th attempt, the statement said.
“The initial price of the asset was UAH 88.9 million, and the final price was UAH 90 million. The winner of the auction will additionally have to pay UAH 18 million in VAT, so the total economic effect may amount to UAH 108 million,” the SPF said, adding that the buyer will also pay off the company’s debt, which is included in the list of privatization conditions.
According to the company, as of June 30, 2024, its overdue wage arrears reached UAH 15.16 million, and overdue accounts payable amounted to UAH 151.31 million.
The auction in Prozorro was announced on October 30 and was conducted in the form of a three-round English auction (for price increase – IF-U). The highest (closed) bidder had the right to make the last move in each round. On November 7, the auction closed.
The winner of the auction was TOP OFFER LLC, which offered UAH 108 million including VAT for the lot and paid a guarantee fee of UAH 17.97 million. Open sources indicate that the ultimate beneficiary of TOP-OFFER LLC is Yevhen Bohuslavskyi, who, according to Opendatabot, is also the founder of TESTUDO Group LLC and FC INKAM LLC. He was also a director of such companies as Factoring Company Paritet LLC and NRC-Ukraine LLC. It is also reported that his activities also include charitable initiatives through the International Charitable Foundation “European Future”.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the SPF has made several attempts to sell the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ICC. Initially, the port was put up for sale on March 3 for UAH 187.57 million, but then its starting price was reduced to UAH 93.78 million, and the auction was won by businessman Vitaliy Kropachev’s Ukrdoninvest LLC, but the company refused to buy at the stage of agreeing on the terms of the sale agreement. Subsequent attempts to sell it in June, with a price reduction to UAH 92.46 million, were unsuccessful due to the lack of bids.
