The Great Helmsman Stands His Trick Again

 

The official press in Primorye states that bureaucrats from the State Fisheries Committee are trying to destroy fish industry, thus depauperating fishermen and their families; at the same time its minister, Mr. Sinelnik is ruining the fruit of a centennial toil. So, Vladimir Shinkarenko, director of the Vladivostok Close Corporation “Super”, stigmatized Sinelnik in all dishonors but surrender of Moscow to Napoleon in his emotional article in one newspaper. A very serious accusation: the industry, which defines economic state of the vast region and a great number of people, is posed to threat through his fault.

“Dalmoreproduct” like the mentioned above “Vostoktransflot” – in the past, has bright future. Let us recollect it.

The story began as follows: 15 good-lookers, 345-foot long supertrawlers were built in Spanish docks by request of JV “Rybcomflot” (directors: O.N. Simonov, V.A. Orlov) – against security of the state, of course. At that time “Rybcomflot” belonged exclusively to the state.

Then we came to market relations; it also applies to the object of our study. In 1994, as a result of different intrigues with changing founders of JV “Rybcomflot”, 65 per cent of its shares passed to “Rifer, Ltd.” (which owners O.N. Simonov, V.A. Orlov are now permanent residents of London), it means the JV turned into a privately owned enterprise. It’s amazing, the owners of “Rifer, Ltd” and those of the former state company have similar surnames. Incredible, but their initials coincide too! It may seem supernatural, however, they look like cloned sheep: identical countenance. It’s unreal, but these are quite the same people who ingeniously transferred – lately – public money to their own – from now till the end of time – pockets. The pockets bulge and impede while walking, but in a Mercedes one can get used to it sooner or later.

The Spaniards who gave credit for 15 supertrawlers demanded to cancel it. No one could imagine they would want their money back. What are we talking about, if they – niggards – gave not a single Peseta to Columbus in his time for voyages, and he had to beg God knows whom. But back in our time: who must cancel the credit? Of course, neither Simonov or Orlov, they have enough troubles of their own. The vessels were built against state security; therefore credit liabilities passed to the state, to be exact, to the Ministry of Finance. The debts amounted to US $ 1500 billion.

Your eyes do not betray you: one and a half billion dollars are like a kopeck or a cent. Who is waiting for his record to be registered in the Guinness book? You’re the last, you don’t suite it yet. Among candidates to be immortalized in the book is our acquaintance – Shinkarenko (the present director of “Super” defaming his foe Mr. Sinelnik): he turns out to have assisted the management of “Dalmoreproduct” for them to cut tasty tips and leave coarse inedible roots to the state and its employees.

So, in 1994 Russia assumed obligations on these debts to Spanish banks in the framework of the Paris Creditors’ Club. The mechanism of redemption seemed simple and infallible: payments of charter hire since 1993 were to be accumulated by “Rybcomflot” for its further remittal to the budget with the following transfer to the Paris Club. The mechanism really seems infallible, but aren’t there skilled craftsmen like Levsha in Russia able to get it into shape unsuitable for further usage? Why, of course! There are still.

You never believe, but money, which came from charter hire – big money, – was misused for private profit, instead of being transferred to the budget. Either they misunderstood that money belonged not to them but to the state; or they literally interpreted the motto “rich citizens – rich state”, nevertheless the fact remains: the country was ravaged while its citizens became richer. Although there were more than two: some allowed them to play the “tricks”, some were bribed. Lifshitz used to say: “You should share with us, guys”.

At present, a comprehensive examination of “Rybcomflot’s” activities may be initiated due to a secret injunction of the Prime Minister. The autopsy will reveal the cause of “patient’s” death.

And what about “Dalmoreproduct”? The company had three supertrawlers only, whereas “Super” exploited 11 vessels (one of fifteen trawlers burned). In 1999 “Super” transferred 17,1 million dollars to budget. The money was remitted to reduce debts to the Paris Club. “Dalmoreproduct” paid nothing. In June 1999, the then Head of the State Fisheries Committee Mr. Yermakov issued order providing transmission of “Super’s” 11 boats to “Dalmoreproduct” “to increase efficacy of exploitation of the trawlers”. Mr. Didenko, the president of “Dalmoreproduct”, wrote in his letter to the Vice-Chairman of the Government:

“We consider it necessary to place management of all vessels (i.e. 14 supertrawlers) under control of “Dalmoreproduct-Trawlers”, which is 100 per cent property of the holding company “Dalmoreproduct”.

Mr. Nazdratenko also had a hand in the transmission. His letter addressed to the Vice-Chairman of the Government Mr. Shcherbak says: “transmission of 11 supertrawlers in the management of DMP will boost money remittances to the local as well as to federal budgets which will let us accumulate means to pay for the vessels built”.

“Dalmoreproduct” was at dawn of a new life, — names of ships – “Sozidaniye” (“Creation”), “Stanovleniye” (“Coming-to-be”), “Suverenitet” (“Sovereignty”), “Solidarnost” (“Solidarity”) sounded like music. Nobody knew that it would be requiem. DMP gave a word to pay US $ 32 million to budget for these vessels during a year, and paid NOT A SINGLE KOPECK for the whole period of exploitation of “its” three trawlers.

Why did Mr. Nazdratenko lobby the transmission of the vessels so actively then? Why did they trip on “Super”, having changed four directors there for six months and appointing even 70-year old women, having set an interim finish on Mr.Shinkarenko, a tasty morsel for law enforcement agencies? Was it done only to take the vessels by force and give them to “Dalmoreproduct? To stop paying to budget? And to line their own pockets?

Mr. Nazdratenko accuses the State Fisheries Committee of absence of a state approach to it. Perhaps, absence of a state approach means to take ships from the entity, which pays money to budget, and transmit them to one, which doesn’t.

However FSB (Federal Security Bureau) has taken notice of sources of that approach by an injunction of Mr. Putin. It is really interesting why the budget cannot receive money from “Dalmoreproduct”.

So, we have come to the point we started with: fishermen protest against ban on fishing, send letters about hardships and troubles. Some are really prohibited to fish, though the prohibition is imposed in full compliance with that to what Mr. Nazdratenko and other patent patriots had called the people for: national interests are estimated higher than those of companies, to be exact, than interests of private persons shaking them like an apple-tree, dexterously gathering its fruit into their basket.

It was not accidental that Prime Minister, who proved to be a firm and rigid statesman by his actions, instructed: the State Fisheries Committee should not allocate quotas to businesses which “cheat” budget for tidy sum, channeling funds to accounts of powerful persons. The Committee implemented the instruction and suspended quota allocation to “Dalmoreproduct-Trawlers” – until the company settles the money issue.

It’s known from ancient times that rigidity of the Russian law is fully compensated by its optional observation – and chinovniki are searching for loopholes to resume fisheries in troubled waters. They can’t take their playful hands from state’s pockets for nothing. We are familiar with such throws in this “free-style wrestling”: to feed up decision-makers, being not squeamish about so-called “vox populi” organized according to usual rules: stiffs, calls to solidarity, stories about difficult financial position, combat for interests of a working man.

It must be admitted that seamen really suffer. Again they became victims, a small change in others’ game with thievish powerful people. Why do they address the words of wrath to anyone but those who deserve them and have no rivals in it? Why don’t fishermen make the “heroes of the occasion” responsible for it: company’s director Yuri Didenko and a true inspirer and coordinator of all his “victories”, a leader and patriot number one in Primorye – you know this man. And you will know him for four years more…

And let Didenko never say, gesticulating franticly: “treacherous, they haven’t warn me about… ” The State Fisheries Committee repeatedly notified him in advance that allocation of quotas and licensing “Dalmoreproduct” for fishing would be in “strict coordination with the budget repayment issue”.

The position of the Committee found support from the First Vice-Prime Minister Mr. Kasyanov. Perhaps, when passion runs down Yevgeny Ivanovich, being a man of sense and state will realize in all sincere that the Minister was right. Isn’t Nazdratenko himself a patriot?

Evil tongues that appeared like flies in times of Nazdratenko allege that behind “concern for the state” there is an evident concern of a farther: “Dalmoreproduct” employed the governor’s son. They say, a clever tongue will take you anywhere; evil tongues – to a morgue. Sometimes people may be wrong, badly wrong: is it really awful that the governor patronizes “Dalmoreproduct” not only as a governor, but also as father?

And finally, to the question of money received by “Dalmoreproduct” and settled somewhere but in the budget. Indeed, Russian crabs are not patriots: they constantly aim to emigrate to Japan. For example: in 1999 “food asylum” in the land of the rising sun was given to Russian crabs which maximum price was estimated US $ 320 million. Actually, it is maximum black cash with Nought wholes and Nil tenths taken in taxes. The major getter of “short-tailed invertebrate decapods” in the Far East is “Dalmoreproduct”. It makes sense then why administration of the company combats. Pretending either a crawfish or a short-tailed it will try to thrust its hand into the state’s pocket. There rises a simple question: will there be a trap for that artful hand?