Saab is remaining tight-lipped concerning suggestions up to 54 of its suppliers may have approached an enforcement agency to recover debt.
The Swedish automaker’s Trollhättan factory is shuttered yet again – this time at least to the end of this week – as payment issues with suppliers continue to dog the company that has seen a series of stop-starts in the last few weeks.
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“Production is stopped again and the reason of course is that Saab could not fulfil payments to suppliers,” Scandinavian automotive suppliers body FKG managing director Sven-Ake Berglie told just-auto from Sweden. “I heard they [suppliers] were trying to go to an agency [Kronofoogde or Enforcement Authority] – 54 suppliers have gone to this agency.
“But I don’t think it is of any value because because there is nothing to gain. Unfortunately more and more people are talking about the possibility of bankruptcy. If they don’t solve this short-term financing, it will certainly be sooner rather [than] later.”
As well as Swedish supply issues, Berglie noted Saab’s largest concern was its range of suppliers abroad.
Saab did not directly address whether some of its suppliers had approached the enforcement agency.
“Basically, what we can say is we realise there are suppliers waiting for payments from us,” a Saab spokeswoman in Sweden told just-auto.
“Beyond that, I can’t comment. We are doing everything we can to resolve the situation and get back to normal operations.”
