VLADIVOSTOK, April 28 (AVN) - Acting governor of the Maritime territory Valentin Dubinin believes that the territory's defence industry enterprises should expand output of civil products, a spokesman for the territory's administration said on Saturday.
The state owes local defence industry enterprises over RUR500m (USD17.33m) for already manufactured products, the spokesman told the Military News Agency. At the same time, the enterprises' total output grew 2.4 times against last year's figure thanks to using free capacities for making civil products in the interests of fuel and energy industry, shipbuilding, agriculture and medicine. In all, the enterprises manufactured RUR4bn (USD138.6m) worth of products.
If the state does not pay off its debts in the near future, the local defence industry will engage almost all its capacities in manufacturing civil products, the spokesman said.
According to Dubinin, the territory's administration is drafting a resolution on writing off fines and fees imposed on the defence industry in 1999 and 2000. The move is necessary because RUR1.2bn (USD41.58m) of fines and fees severely hamper production development.
Besides, the administration is planning to hold a working meeting of high-ranking officials of energy companies and defence industry enterprises in order to solve the debt problem. Dubinin has said that the territory's administration is ready to be a guarantor before banks for the sum that is allocated for defence industry enterprises in the territory's budget.