A. Shary: Forgetful Ukrainian Cabinet

 

They have forgotten, the people has no memory. But I shall remind.

Chickens are not to be counted before they are hatched. It's not over yet, but we should count some. Because war is war, but the more messages of the war come, the stronger the feeling that the government does not want to talk about other matters of state.

I always claimed that the main problem of Ukrainians is not only the unwillingness to think and to analyze, but also the memory quite leaky. Let us remember, my friends. I'll remind you if you have forgotten something.

Arseny Petrovich Yatsenyuk before his appointment called himself and his associates "kamikazes". If someone does not know, those were pilots, who flew their missions knowing there was no returning back. Imagine how sure of your purpose, how strong you have to be, how desperately you have to believe in the thing you do to go for it.

Five months have passed. Kamikaze Yatsenyuk resigns. The plane has flown somewhere, not clear where exactly, and the brave pilot leaves it all jumping out with a parachute. Have you forgotten what he said then? Let me remind you. There was a document entitled "The action program for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine."

This program included 23 areas of activity. Everything was clear and plain. Everything was accomplishable. Well, otherwise why did they write it, right?

Of the 23 items ... four fulfilled. The Association agreement is signed. By the way, it is a merit of Poroshenko, not of Yatsenyuk.
Adoption of the "unpopular decisions concerning prices and tariffs" - here we have the full implementation of the commitments.
Ensuring fair and transparent presidential elections - beyond debate, everything was fair and transparent. Restoration of cooperation with the IMF - here, as well as in the matter of tariffs, everything is fine. This is achieved. And what about the other 19 items? Let me remind you:

- Ensuring the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.

They do their best to provide it, but nevertheless, the Crimea is gone and the East is a headache for years.

- The development of comprehensive neighborly relations with Russia in all spheres.

This reduced to mutual bombardment with accusations and to the war.

- The formation of a new system of government based on the principles of the rule of law, of openness and transparency in functioning of public authorities. The decisive and systematic fight against corruption, especially in the higher ranks of the authorities".

Show me just one official of the current government prosecuted for corruption. You do not know of such? Have we really overcome the corruption?

Or it is simpler - "their own" are not to touch, and the rule of law in the country where now some are not prosecuted even for murders (the matter is whom to kill) is no longer to mention in principle. And they do not touch the former ones, either, if to "solve it" - Miller walks free with no trouble.

- "Urgent stabilization of the financial situation. Thorough revising of existing tax exemptions granted on individual or sectoral basis".

A failure. A complete failure of the stabilization and "amnesia" of the tax exemptions.

- "Ensuring a strict control by the society of the use of budget funds. Ensuring transparency in public procurement".

This especially concerns the tenders of "one pocket", being "won" by Kolomoyskiy in a fair and tough fight with himself. The procurements of the armoured vests please with transparency as well.

- "De-monopolization of the economy. The removal of restrictions to competition and of artificial preferences for separate economic entities. Expansion of freedom of enterprise, a significant reduction in functions of the administrative economic regulation".

A failure.

- "Restoring investor confidence in Ukraine, attracting of foreign investment. Introduction of transparent and uniform rules for all economic actors".

Outflow of the investments is so significant that soon we should compare our country by its attractiveness to Somalia.

- "The protection of the rights of owners and investors. Ensuring by the state the integrity of property rights and strengthening the institution of property as the basis of the market economy system".

Instead of taking Mezhygorye by law, beautifully demonstrating the start of the game by the rules, regardless of the person they play with, Pandora's box has been opened.

Seizures of otherТs houses, offices - all this illustrates quite clearly the Ukrainian attitude to private property, which is sacred in the West.

- "The implementation of long-term national energy efficiency program"

A failure.

- "Ensuring access to quality health services for the citizens of the country."

A failure. Not a slightest progress.

- "Returning the funds placed and registered in the Republic of Cyprus, in offshore zones and other jurisdictions which allow the illegal escape from taxation in Ukraine"

A failure. And it could be nothing but failure. Because there was no mechanism of recovery of these funds. There was only populism and chatter. And now five months have passed.

It would be good if the kamikaze government gave an account of the matters fulfilled (or rather, failed), but in a country where citizens have no memory it is unnecessary. Would it be otherwise Ц we would not have these promises in the style of "this generation will live in communism."

Let us recall the Ministry of Economic Development plan "100 days, 100 steps of the government." Remember? Yes, IТll remind you, donТt worry. It promised "facilitations" and "improvements". And pulling the economy out of the shadows as well.

Pavel Sheremet, a prominent theoretician who showed himself by repeated rides on public transport (did he show anything else?), had developed a slogan program, a counting program, a mummy program. Everything was beautiful and as a living, but dead.

Is there any excuse for the failure of these programs? Without a doubt, there is. How can the Ukrainian politicians go without excuses? Those are their predecessors. Those are the most cursed predecessors that have taken away the whole budget by KAMAZ trucks and drove the country to the dead end.

But chatter is good for talk-shows and for open-mouth crowds sitting at such shows. Everything is known by comparison. Of course, you do not remember the economic indices of the previous government of thieves and bandits. But I'll remind.

While the statistics is not made secret by a special law of the Verkhovna Rada we can compare the numbers. Do you remember Ц we have built a democratic society. Democracy is the power of the people, and if the people is in power, so the people knows about the situation in the economy, without any state statistic service or other pessimists. So we shall take advantage of its availability and then the people will decide.

Compare the statistics of the first half of 2014 to the same period of 2013.

Decline in building - 8.9%

Decline in engineering industry - 18%, in motor-car construction - 32.5%

Chemical industry - 14.1% decline

Metallurgy - minus 8.7%

Wholesale trade - minus 10.5%

There is also growth.

Inflation increase - 11.6 per annum, with clearly seen monthly regression.

Public debt has also increased. By 34%.

Now it equals 65.217 billion dollars. Remember how Sergey Sobolev with a mournful face told how much it was for every Ukrainian? Now, when it has increased by one-third for each one, Sobolev keeps silent. He is quiet and hiding. Everybody has forgotten. But I am reminding.

The deficit of the consolidated balance of payments has increased up to 3,496 billion dollars. The predecessors in the same period of the last year managed to strike the balance with a SURPLUS of 3.262 billion dollars. The budget is being filled just hopelessly - the plan for the first half of the year is implemented by УStakhanovТsФ 45.94%.

How to fill the budget? Well, easy as a pie - with excise duties on beer, tobacco, alcohol. These steps resemble the construction of the "wall" on the border with Russia. They have next returning stone axes and pigeon post back into use. For the 14th century such methods would have passed, but today ... In general, the excise gave the opposite effect - the proceeds (of the excise duty on such products made in Ukraine + the excise duty on imported products) amounted to 94.22%. They received less by a billion.

And where is the money which is coming in the budget yet? There is the war! The war, you know. Everybody to the war, be it cursed ...
However, the Minister ShlapakovТs words that the war eats one and a half billion hryvnias per month, no one could confirm yet.

On March 23, 2014 they have allotted 1.9 billion hryvnias for the needs of the law enforcement agencies; on April 17 they have allotted other 5 billion, saying that they would give their account for these sums before July 15. But they have forgotten to give an account. But I am reminding. Nonprofessionals. Speakers. People from the street. These words can describe the people who have been engaged in "economic reforms" in Ukraine.

They have been engaged in it, but suddenly they have forgotten about reforming, and instead, they led the country where that particular "fusion of business and government" is now almost legalized and not disgraceful, to the brink of the abyss. Not hypothetical but real.