At the Lutsk Press Club of Reforms, the head of the supervisory board of OJSC "Lutsk Automobile Plant" Volodymyr Gunchyk told media workers about the enterprise's current problems and prospects. First of all, Volodymyr Petrovych thanked Volyn journalists for their support during the collective's defense of its rights. He also noted that People's Deputy of Ukraine, and now head of the regional state administration, Volodymyr Bondar stood in the front ranks of the plant's defenders against discrimination, when the investment program was first suspended and later tax officials from Kyiv were sent in. It is interesting that during the Orange Revolution, 300 workers in their own vehicles and under the sign "transfer of finished products" safely reached the capital in a column led by Volodymyr Bondar. Now, as Mr. Gunchyk reported, cooperation with the tax administration is within the legal framework, and disputed issues are being resolved in court.

And the most important news is that on January 18, 2005, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an investment program for the production of cars, buses and trucks by OJSC "LuAZ," designed through 2008, which provides that the cost of its implementation will be about 1.8 billion hryvnias, which is more than three times the figures of the previous one. An automobile group "Bohdan" has been formed, which will produce buses, trucks, and passenger cars. In particular, at the Lutsk plant it is planned to build a welding line, a painting complex with a capacity of 60 thousand bodies and cabs per year, and an assembly complex. After the implementation of the investment program, Lutsk residents will increase their capacity for bus production to 4 thousand units per year, trucks — to 7 thousand, and passenger cars — to 53 thousand. At the general meeting of shareholders of OJSC "LuAZ," it was decided that the plant's structure will include two self-accounting enterprises in the city of Cherkasy: for the production of "Bohdan" buses and trucks.

As already reported, one of the investors is the company SV Motors LTD (Great Britain), which purchased 64.68 percent of the shares that belonged to LuAZ. At the same time, cooperation continues with the main strategic partner Isuzu Motors, which will supply machine kits and technologies.

Journalists were primarily interested in what this would give our region. Volodymyr Gunchyk reported that by 2008, up to 4.3 thousand people will work at the plant, which corresponds to the government's program for creating jobs. Already in 2005, the average salary will rise to approximately 1400 hryvnias (last year — almost 800 hryvnias). During the reconstruction of the enterprise, construction and other organizations of the region will be involved. All this will bring additional revenues to the local budget. After all, the manager said that in the course of gradual implementation of the program, LuAZ will continue to pay all taxes. And although the government is sharply raising the issue of abolishing benefits for all manufacturers, he is confident that no obstacles will arise for investing. Even if preferences are abolished, this will only mean that everyone will work under equal conditions.

It was interesting to learn whether the products of the "Bohdan" corporation will have sales abroad, since everyone remembers how our "Volyniankas" were once bought in Russia. It turns out that there are representative offices in Moscow, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. As Gunchyk said, "our partners have allowed us to sell buses in Russia." As for the production of our own car — the LuAZ-1301 model — at least a few more months will pass to resolve the issue with the production of the transfer case, since none of the Ukrainian enterprises can set it up (now a proposal has even come from Brazil). The automakers want to create a perfect machine that would occupy the "niche" of the old "Niva" and cost within 5 thousand dollars. "In secret," Volodymyr Gunchyk also said that minibuses of foreign manufacture will be produced in Lutsk.

The enterprise is preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding this year. At the plant, which is being re-equipped, the training and education of personnel is coming to the fore. Even the head of the supervisory board of OJSC "LuAZ," member of the board of the "Bohdan" corporation Volodymyr Gunchyk plans to hold a press conference in English in the future.

Oleksandr NAHORNYI