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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Sugar, Butter, and Reforms Have Let Us Down Again

19 January, 1999 - 00:00

By Yana MOISEYENKOVA, The Day
If there is nothing good, see good things in the bad. It seems that Presidential
Administration also follows this principle. For example, presidential aide
Valery Lytvytsky told Interfax-Ukraine that industrial production volume
decreased 1,5% last year. And it turned out this is "the best index" since
independence (in all production volume decreased 58,4% since 1990.)

Moreover, according to Lytvytsky, production fall in the food industry
slowed and "growth could have been registered, but sugar let us down" (as
is well known, there were problems with sugar beet processing in those
few Ukrainian sugar plants, which somehow continue to operate. There were
also some problems in foreign trade with Russia.) We should note that butter
also let us down. Everything was fine, but its price tripled.

Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko also continues to see the silver
lining in dark clouds. He noted a slight increase in production of oil
producing plants, flax fiber, potatoes, vegetables, milk, and eggs. At
the same time, he added, cattle and chicken sales volume dropped 12% (this
is a sector, where the presidential aide noted that the rate of production
fall had slowed), grain production to 21%, and sugar beet to 9,4%. And
all this despite the fact that, according to the Prime Minister, "a structure
badly managed, inert, with huge debts, and unattractive to investors has
been created (who created it?) in the absolute majority of agriculture."

Agricultural reforms have yielded no results, and again we rely on the
industry of peasant farmers. Incidentally, do you know what Ukrainian reforms
are? It is when they take your jacket off, put on a vest and say, "Congratulations
for your new coat." Incidentally, Leonid Kuchma declared last week that
he would sign an edict to revive (for the third time, it seems) the post
of Deputy Prime Minister for the agro-industrial complex. Nothing is likely
to change in this connection in the agricultural branch, but who will be
to blame will be chosen in advance.

 

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