Authorities in Sweden are to ask an enforcement agency to consider its claim Saab still owes SEK83m (US$12m) in salary cover paid during the automaker’s transition from General Motors to Spyker.
The Vastra Gotaland provincial authority in western Sweden guaranteed Saab salaries for three months, paying a total of SEK305m and is now asking for SEK110m to be repaid.
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Saab however, has made it clear it would pay 25% of this amount following a creditors’ meeting on 17 June, which apparently agreed to write off 75% of the debt.
“Saab is still disputing this SEK110m and has paid SEK27m – so the difference is around SEK83m,” Vastra Gotaland deputy governor Goran Bendtsson told just-auto from Sweden. We will send the case to the Swedish enforcement service [Kronofogdan] on Monday [27 September] or Tuesday.
“It will decide if we are right and Saab [will have] the opportunity to take the case to court. This could go on for some time and then of course the politicians could decide to change the rules.”
Saab vigorously maintains it has complied with what was required, although it previously conceded it was in disagreement with the Vastra Gotaland tax authorities.
“Our position has not changed on this matter as we believe there is no legal ground for this claim,” a Saab spokesman in Trollhattan told just-auto.
New Saab owners Spyker, confined itself to noting: ” This is a Saab matter.”
Saab’s factory is situated at the Trollhattan plant in Vastra Gotaland.
