OREANDA-NEWS. April 07, 2008. Ukraine possesses 5% of the world's mineral resources, Environment Minister Heorhiy Filipchuk told a press conference.

In his words, Ukraine extracts above 90 kinds of different minerals, including precious metals.

Meanwhile, the minister said, a lot of abuses involving extraction and processing of those resources are observed. For example, for one ton of alumina, a tax of UAH 25 is paid to the national budget (UAH 5,05 / USD 1), when in Europe it is USD 85. The bulk of alumina, according to Filipchuk, is not processed in Ukraine but exported as raw material.