The existing problem of untimely receipt of educational subvention funds by Ukrainian manufacturers for delivered school buses can lead to a disruption in the implementation of the program, says Natalia Bachurna, the sales director of Chernihiv Bus Plant.

"Tenders for the purchase of school buses are held for the entire amount of the subvention (state budget and local budgets), but we do not receive funds immediately. That is, we held a tender in June, and the funds are received in parts in June, July, and August and beyond. It turns out that the customer solves the problem and wants to get buses before September 1, so as not to disrupt the program, and the manufacturer bears the financial burden," she said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to her, for Chernihiv Bus Plant, which suffered from shelling last year and is recovering at its own expense (and the production of buses requires a lot of working capital), timely payments for school buses are "a matter of life and death."

"We can resume production without the help of the state, pay taxes, bear the social burden, but only on condition of timely settlements with us - we cannot freeze funds for such a long period. If this does not happen, the issue is serious, since the school program opened very late, and we will not be able to fulfill it - we simply run out of funds, and we will not accept requests for school buses, and then someone will be without fulfilling orders," Bachurna explains.

She recalled that in Ukraine today, buses in the "school" modification are produced by two more manufacturers (with which they are also not paid on time), but they will not be able to "pull out" the program.

"And as a result, the manufacturer will be to blame," the sales director summed up.

According to director of Etalon Auto Trading House Vadym Shkarupin, today the debt to the enterprise under contracts is about UAH 80 million.

Bachurna recalled that the "school bus" program in 2023 actually started working in June, but in the first half of the year the plant did not produce buses, taking into account the inexpediency of working "for the warehouse" - both from a financial point of view and because of the risks of possible shelling and damage.