The current Cabinet of Ministers does not work on development of the country’s economy. This was stated at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship by the MP from UKROP Oleksandr Dubinin.
“Unfortunately, we can state that today in the government there is no strategy for the development of the Ukrainian economy,” said the MP.
According to the UKROP member, the lacking strategic vision leads to uneven and artificial distribution of state support between different sectors of industry. For example, the government has approved the Strategy for the revival of Ukrainian aircraft industry for the period up to 2022 and proposes to allocate almost 7 billion hryvnias from the state budget for the development of domestic aircraft industry. At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers did not explain why public funds should be allocated for the aircraft construction and not for the other industries that form Ukrainian GDP.
“I have nothing against the program of aircraft construction. But why we do not have a state support program for shipbuilding, for example? Why there is no state support program for energy engineering or other industry?” noted the MP.
The UKROP member has noted that the metallurgical industry today forms about 17% of Ukraine’s GDP. Under the condition of proper support, the industry can provide much more revenue to the state budget, but governmental officials do not use the existing potential. Weak state policy results in a sharp decline in industrial production and closure of once powerful enterprises.
“While Ukraine’s Naftogaz states about billions of dollars in profit, chemical companies are stopped because of the high cost of energy,” stressed Oleksandr Dubinin.
The UKROP member called on the Cabinet of Ministers to carry out a profound audit of all sectors of the economy, which are currently forming the bulk of the country’s GDP. Basing on the results of this analysis, the priority sectors for the state to invest budgetary funds should be defined. In addition, the government should have a profile ministry of industrial policy.
“We need to create a ministry of industrial policy and give it sufficient authority to create a strategy for economic development. State support should be directed to domestic producers that will create jobs and develop the Ukrainian economy,” summed up the parliamentarian.
