EVENT

Ukraine’s top bribe-takers are traffic policemen and hospital staff

Traffic police and doctors extort bribes from Ukrainian citizens more frequently than any other profession. This was one of the findings of the sociological survey presented in Kharkiv by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, UNIAN reports. Thus, according to the poll, 91 percent of Ukrainians believe corruption is strongly widespread or rather widespread in Ukraine. When asked about their personal experiences, respondents most commonly cited two cases: public hospitals demanding unofficial payments for better treatment, and the traffic police extorting money instead of fining offenders. Forty-six percent of respondents paid bribes in hospitals more than once, 12 percent indicated that they had to pay just once. The traffic police received bribes more than once from 22 percent of respondents, while only four percent paid once. However, the study showed that Ukrainians were less pessimistic about the direction of the country’s development. Thus, 44 percent (compared to 74 percent in 2009, and 76 percent in 2008) of respondents believed that Ukraine was heading towards instability and chaos, while 21 percent (seven percent in 2009) believed that Ukraine was heading towards stability and prosperity. However, most respondents (83 percent) were dissatisfied with the economic situation this year, with 60 percent also being dissatisfied with the political situation (92 percent in 2009). 75 percent of respondents expressed concern about inflation (58 percent in 2009). Serious concerns were also expressed regarding other economic issues. These included unemployment (56 percent), poverty (51 percent), corruption (37 percent) and general economic issues (36 percent). This year’s political problems concerned 11 percent of respondents. The study was conducted September 8 through 20, with 1,519 respondents throughout Ukraine.

The international dance sport competition “Golden Autumn-2010”

The international dance sport competition “Golden Autumn-2010” was recently held in Kyiv for the sixth time. Competitors came from three countries: Ukraine, Russia and Moldova. Ukraine was represented by participants from Kyiv, Donetsk, Poltava, Rivne, Luhansk, Boiarka, Brovary, Kharkiv, Khust, Odesa, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk. More than 200 pairs of young athletes competed for medals. The struggle, as always, was sharp and elegant. The judges named the best pairs of young athletes in 2010. The best pair in the Juveline category was Pavlo Zhuravliov and Anastasia Lemishko (Juveniles Team 1, Children and Youth Sports Training Centre Sport-Dance, Kyiv). Stas Hudkov and Oleksandra Moskalenko (CYSTC Sport-Dance, Kyiv) won among Juniors 2D Standard. In the category of Juniors 2D Latin, the victory went to Andrii Shchekachykhin and Yelyzaveta Chaplyhina (CYSTC Sport-Dance, Kyiv). Yet another first place went to athletes from Zaporizhia: Vladyslav Dolia and Oleksandra Sydorova won in the category Youth 2 Standard. The Golden Autumn is both a holiday event, a competition and a fabulous show, presenting masterful dancing and attracting young people to this art. This tournament has been supported for six years by the competition’s partners from the Foxtrot Group, which prides itself on being a socially responsible business. The honored coach of Ukraine, 1st rank judge, and chairman of Dance Sport Association of Ukraine’s Judging Panel, Valentyna Fedorchuk thanked the partners for a very nice room, the gifts for participants and faith in upcoming tournaments, as Golden Autumn is a warm-up for larger spring dance sport competitions — the international tournament Parade of Hope and the Foxtrot Cup, the latter being sponsored by Foxtrot trading network.

By Alevtyna Biletska

Kyiv intends to build a garbage-processing plant next year

The Kyiv City State Administration intends to attract some 400 million euros in 2011 for the construction of a garbage-processing plant in the city, the Administration’s Deputy Chairman Ruslan Kramarenko told the press. “There was no tender yet. Next year, we plan to attract about 400 million euros. The construction will also start then,” said the official. He noted that so far they do not know who will fund the plant. The investor will be determined through a competition. Let’s recall that in mid-September Kramarenko said that Kyiv was to hold the investment tender for the construction of garbage-processing plant before 2011. He believes that a five-hectare plot in the Troieshchyna neighborhood near CHP plant No. 6 will be the most suitable place to build such a plant. The plant’s construction project is planned to be submitted for public hearing, but only after investment offers are received. By the way, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov suggested in June that the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries may participate in the construction of garbage-processing plant.