Overpayments found in construction of shelter for schoolchildren in Odesa region

In Odesa region, overpayments for materials and work were discovered during the construction of a shelter for schoolchildren. It turned out that some items were overpriced by almost two times.

This was reported by Nashi Hroshi.

On February 4, the Education Department of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Council ordered the reconstruction of the basement for UAH 10.28 million to Malone Group LLC.

By September, the basement of gymnasium No. 5 is to be repaired so that it can serve as a shelter for 165 people.

The project was developed by individual entrepreneur Horbovyi Oleh Lyubomyrovych, and a positive expert opinion was provided by the Odesa branch of the State Enterprise "NDIproektrekonstruktsiya". The works are funded by UNICEF, except for VAT paid by the Education Department of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Council. The contract price is fixed and does not include inflationary adjustments.

According to the contract documents, Class A-III rebar with a diameter of 12 mm was ordered at UAH 57,833 per tonne and 16-18 mm in diameter at UAH 55,037 per tonne, including VAT. For comparison, Metinvest SMC and Zaliznyi Svit sell such rebar at almost half the price and 37-40% cheaper, respectively. Recently, Raukhiv village council ordered 12 mm rebar at UAH 33,960/t, which is 41% cheaper.

Cement-lime plaster was priced at 13 UAH/kg, while it can be purchased at Epicenter stores for 7-9 UAH/kg. Concrete B20 (M250) was ordered at UAH 4,427 per cubic meter, while local producers offer it at UAH 3,120-3,170 per cubic meter, which is 28-30% cheaper. According to estimates, the overpayment for some items can be about UAH 900 thousand.

The average salary of a full-time 3.8 category worker is UAH 20,329, although according to the Pension Fund, the average salary for pension calculation is UAH 20,653, and on the Work.ua portal for construction workers in Odesa it is UAH 30,000. If the real average salary were to be 40,000 hryvnias, the payroll would have to double from 1.24 million to 2.48 million hryvnias. This means that the shortfall can potentially be compensated for through "envelope" payments included in the margin of construction materials.

Malone Group LLC was awarded the contract without competition, as no one came to the auction. The company is owned by Natalia Rybak from the village of Kryzhanivka, Odesa region, and has received government orders worth UAH 24.07 million since 2019. The current contract is the largest in its history.

In 2025, budget customers in the Odesa region signed 223 agreements for the construction, repair and arrangement of storage facilities for a total of UAH 1.4 billion. Intent has compiled a rating of companies that received the largest sums for the arrangement or construction of shelters, which are still lacking in the city.

Анна Бальчінос