The newspaper «Lvivska gazeta» was checked and fined according to the plan

The statements that the check of «Lvivska gazeta» by the tax inspection was carried out by the order of the authorities are ungrounded, declares the State Tax Administration (STA) of the Lviv oblast.

The press center of the STA of the Lviv oblast informs: «From 10 June to 23 July 2003, according to the National plan of checks, the workers of the STA of the Lichakovskiy district of the Lviv oblast conducted the check of the financial activities of «Lvivska gazeta». The check resulted in the imposition of a small fine «. By the information of the tax inspection, now the Lviv STA considers the complaint concerning the results of the check. The tax inspection promises to give the answer in the accordance with the «legally stipulated procedure».

The STA communicates that «Lvivska gazeta» complained «against the conclusions of only one check; the tax organs did not conduct the checks of other firms that belonged to the founders of the newspaper».

The commentary of «Lvivska gazeta» reads that this information «looks like, mildly speaking, oblivion or, what is more probable, a purposeful lie».

The authors remind to Mr. Zuevskiy, the head of the press center of the Lviv oblast STA, that the official information was also given about the checks of the company «Dzyga» and the institution of the criminal case against the administration of the joint-stock company «Trottola», the co-owners of «Lvivska gazeta».

«Representatives of informational agencies, newspapers, radio and TV described the situation against «Lvivska gazeta» using your press releases», states the edition. «The extraordinary check of «Dzyga» was finished on 27 July, but no official documents were presented until now. Instead of this, three tax officers are sitting in all cafes and galleries of «Dzyga»: they carry out the so-called «time-study». Nobody knows what that means. DJ’s, musicians, artists, poets, writers, barmen and security guards are summoned for interrogations… If it is not a check, then what your workers are doing?», asks the newspaper. «The investigation activities are carried out in the company «Trottola» every day. These activities are connected with the criminal case on the non-payment of taxes at the especially large amount». «Lvivska gazeta» also commented the words «a small fine»: they insisted that the fine was equal to 23.5 thousand hryvnas.

«We want to remind to our respected tax inspection that a criminal case may be instituted on the basis of imposing the fine more than 17 thousand hryvnas, so such «small fine» can be rather dangerous for all businessmen», the representatives of the newspaper say. «There are many proofs that the Lviv tax officers had the order to impose a fine more than 17 thousand on every enterprise they checked».

««Lvivska gazeta» was fined because the tax officers reckoned that the use of telephones and the Internet might not be regarded as industrial expenditures», the newspaper workers wrote.

In the end of the comment the authors turned to Mr. Zuevskiy with the question: «Why you, the head of the press center of the Lviv oblast STA, did not express until now your opinion about the illegal order of Myroslav Khomiak, the head of the State tax inspection of the Lviv oblast?»

«On 11 September he issued the order «to destroy in five days the business of the founders of the newspaper». After this the criminal case against «Trottola» was started, and after this the tax officers began to interrogate the poets and musicians of «Dzyga»», «Lvivskagazeta» states.