Today at a press conference, the mayor of Lutsk, Anton Kryvytskyi, expressed his support for the position of the management of VAT "LuAZ" regarding the adoption of the draft Law "On the Development of the Automotive Industry in Ukraine" in the version in which it currently exists. We remind you that this draft law introduces a duty on automotive components at the level of 20 percent, while leaving it at 15 percent for finished automobiles, and also preserves the existing privileges for "AvtoZAZ." \n \nAccording to Anton Kryvytskyi's firm conviction, enterprises must be placed on equal conditions. If privileges exist, they must apply to all enterprises in the industry, and if there are no privileges, then there should be none for anyone. \n \nJustifying his support for LuAZ, the mayor noted that first and foremost he represents the community of the city of Lutsk and proceeds from the interests of Lutsk and Volyn. Thus, LuAZ's share in the city's industrial output (850 million hryvnias) constitutes about 20 percent this year. And by implementing its investment program, the enterprise could have produced goods worth 800 million hryvnias in 2004. This would be a significant contribution to the economy of the city and the region. \n \nAlso, by implementing the investment program, the enterprise would have created an additional 300 jobs (currently more than 1,000 people work at LuAZ), and the average wage would have risen to 1,000 hryvnias (currently the average wage is 600 hryvnias). As noted by the general director of VAT "LuAZ," Volodymyr Hunchyk, the creation of an additional 300 jobs at the plant would have created another 500 jobs in the region in related sectors of the economy. \n \nThe general director of LuAZ also noted that so far he has not reached an understanding in defending the plant's interests with the regional authorities, although the plant's management has already approached them twice. Among the people's deputies from Volyn, Volodymyr Bondar actively defends LuAZ's interests; others take an observational position. Incidentally, in the first reading, the following Volyn deputies voted in favor of adopting the law that places automobile manufacturers in unequal conditions: Kateryna Vashchuk (APU), Serhii Shevchuk (NDP), and Stanislav Pkhydenko (KPU).