Kyiv, March 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Fake crediting firms are to be banned by a cabinet resolution as gambling machines were banned in 2009, Head of the All-Ukrainian Movement to Fight Credit Fraud Bohdan Khaustov, has said.

"I'd advise the Cabinet of Ministers to make the same things as it was done with gambling machines… The main thing is to introduce a ban and synchronously conduct an audit so that the credit accounts of the said firms are to be examined," Khaustov said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on March 15, 2013.

The expert said that over one million of Ukrainians suffered from operation of the above-mentioned companies.

"The problem is that the advertisement of fake crediting companies is placed in media, despite the fact that mass media knows that this is banned by Ukrainian law. In addition, dirty credit brokers send people to take such credits for a certain bonus. The bonus could be from 30 to 50% of the down payment," Khaustov said.

"Credits at 3-5% per annum do not exist. One should forget about for ever… The small interest rate is the first what should put someone on his or her guard. The credits can be issued at least at 15% per annum and collateral should be used if a large sum is taken into credit," he said.

The expert said that one cannot say that growth in the number of the said companies in Ukraine stopped.

"Since 2011, these companies have taken licenses. As a matter of fact, the state in 2011 permitted open deceptions without any problems," he said.

"According to the humblest figures, revenue of one humble company from one region totals some UAH 50,000 a week," the expert said.

"The smallest firm operating in the half of the Ukrainian regions can earn UAH 15 million in a year easily. There are firms that earn $500,000 from one region a month," Khaustov said.

He said that this does not concern credit unions, which are non-profit-making organizations, but private companies or limited liability companies, which provide financial intermediation services.

He said that the firms are divided into social strata: they operate with pensioners, students, farmers or operate on the concrete territories – southern, eastern and western regions. There are companies-clones of famous banks.

Khaustov said that the full list of the above-mentioned companies is published online and it is permanently revised. He said that currently there are around 300 fake crediting firms in Ukraine.