Mariupol Illich steel mill director general denies there are plans to sell or nationalize company
Kyiv, March 11 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The director general of Mariupol Illich steel mill, the largest Ukrainian steel mill (Donetsk region), Volodymyr Boiko, has said that he does not see any need to nationalize the company and that there are no plans to sell it.
Boiko was speaking at a meeting of the Anti-crisis press club on the situation in the Ukrainian mining and metals sector, which was held at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
He said that he never announced plans to nationalize the mill, although he once mentioned the experience of Britain, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1987 nationalized the whole mining and steel industries.
"How can I sell [the mill] if it is incollective ownership?" he said.
He said that he is ready even to give some companies that are part of the Illich steel mill away for free.
"I agree to give companies that are part of the Illich steel mill, but they are worth nothing like thousands of companies today, because if you take them, you have to look for money, as there are no orders or work," he said.
OJSC Mariupol Illich steel mill is one of the largest metals companies of Ukraine.
The company said that CJSC Illich-Steel owns a 90.41% stake in the OJSC.