"I would like to touch on one issue related to our defense. During one of the previous government meetings, we raised the issue of [wage] arrears at [Ukroboronprom's] Mykolayiv Shipbuilding Yard. I instructed that the Ukroboronprom CEO pay off the arrears. The deadline was set for December 25. Today is December 27. The arrears have not been settled. I've heard they cannot do it, and I just don't understand this. Therefore, today I will sign a motion before the president. I advise that the head of Ukroboronprom resign. I’ll not be working with you anymore. What I ordered has not been done. So, goodbye and look for another job," the prime minister said at a government meeting on Wednesday, Dec 27.
Meanwhile, according to TSN's source who is one of President Poroshenko's closest allies, Roman Romanov has long written a resignation letter.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukroboronprom on October 31 announced that the shipyard had halted operations as the Cabinet of Ministers had not decided on a Slava-class cruiser (a Soviet designation Project 1164 Atlant).
"The enterprise's [bank] accounts have been frozen at the moment, while wage arrears are estimated at UAH 58 million [US$2.1 million]. The debts have accumulated due to the fact that the enterprise's costs to maintain the cruiser have no longer been reimbursed since February 2015," Ukroboronprom said.
Read alsoUkraine ranks 77th in SIPRI Top 100 arms producersAt the same time, the Concern noted that a relevant draft order on reimbursement, which would allow repayment of the wage arrears, had been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.
On Dec 13, the government instructed that the Ukroboronprom management pay off wage arrears to the personnel of Mykolayiv Shipbuilding Yard before Dec 25, 2017.
