Revenues from Exports of Gypsum Hidden

According to preliminary calculations, the exporters of gypsum annually hide from the tax authorities about 10 mln. manat by artificially lowering the declared contract prices.

Analysis carried out by Turan on the basis of customs and statistical data of the three countries of the South Caucasus found that exporters assisted by customs agencies underestimate the export prices of plaster about 10 times.

According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, in 2013 out of the country were exported 128 626.8 tons of gypsum, 0.9% more than in 2012. According to the formal customs documents, exporters gained from these operations $ 1867 400 only in 2013. Thus, the product was designed on the local customs by $ 14 / t. In 2012, this figure was $ 15.21 / ton.

The State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan reports citing official sources in the State Customs Committee that three consecutive years all exports accounted for neighboring Georgia. Georgian Statistical Office does not provide on its own website (www.geostat.ge) data on the physical volume of import-export operations - the latest figures are dated 2009. Then the neighboring Customs recorded delivery 62,800 tons of gypsum. A ton of cargo, according to the National Office of Statistics of the country, has been issued at a price of $ 78.1 on average. In the same year, the Azerbaijani customs recorded export of 34 248.2 tons of gypsum to Georgia. At the same time the product was designed for the amount of $ 661,000, or $ 19.3 / t, exactly 4 times lower than in the Georgian border.

It should be noted that in 2012 and 2013 Georgia imported gypsum for $ 20.6 million and $ 23.9 million respectively.

Noteworthy is also the report of the National Statistical Service of Armenia of the foreign trade turnover of 2013 - last year there were imported over 21, 000 tons of gypsum, which was declared on the Armenian customs at a price of US $ 187.8 per 1 ton. For comparison, recall that a ton of bagged plaster in Azerbaijan is worth about $ 200.

According to of the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, in January-September this year, the country produced 143,100 tons of gypsum, which is 30.9% less than in the comparable period of 2013. For sale was intended only 58.4% (83 600 tons) of the quantity produced. In the first half of this year, exports of gypsum were 62 400 tons. Exporters said on income from the sale of $ 1083 700. For 9 months of this year, the State Statistics Department of Georgia reported imports of gypsum at the level of $ 18.9 million.

The main producers of plaster in Azerbaijan are Garant Holding and Gilan Holding. The factories of both holdings are located directly nearby the gypsum deposits in the Goranboy region. The power of Goranboy Gypsum owned by Garant Holding, is not known. But Gilan Goranboy Gypsum has a production capacity of 300 000 tons of gypsum per year. Gilan Holding has a plant for the production of plasterboard. --08B--.