OREANDA-NEWS. June 19, 2012. In Q1 2012 SCM Group businesses paid over UAH 6.8 billion in taxes and duties to local and national budgets (including the Pension Fund), which is 62.9% more year on year. The gross salary amounted to over UAH 4.6 billion - 71% up from the same period last year.

The Group employs over 260,000 people. The average salary across the Group amounts to UAH 5,760, a 20% increase compared with the last year.

Social investments in Q1 2012 totalled UAH 1.23 billion and mostly focused on health and safety and environment – UAH 444.9 million and 651.55 million respectively. The Group also invested UAH 128.8 million in social programmes for employees and residents of our communities and in projects to develop business environment.

At the same time, SCM Group invested around UAH 5.05 billion in modernisation and acquisition of fixed assets.

"SCM Group is the biggest private employer in Ukraine and our salaries have greatly outpaced the economic growth in the country over the reporting period. We achieved this as we regularly modernise our businesses and thus give a chance to our staff to improve production performance," said Oleg Popov, CEO of SCM.

The SCM Group operates in full compliance with the laws, is one of the biggest taxpayers in Ukraine and pays all its current liabilities in full and on time.