What are the possible economic consequences of the first executive appointments in Ukraine?
Anatoly KINAKH, President, Ukrainian Association of Industrialists and Businessmen:
It’s important for the new cabinet appointees to act on a priority basis, meaning that national interests, not individual ones, must come first; they should also proceed from the need to justify the staggering amount of public confidence vested in the new government. Millions of fellow Ukrainians are expecting spectacular moral and socioeconomic achievements. If the new appointees pursue a policy that meets the above criteria, it will be supported by the Party of Industrialists and Businessmen of Ukraine. Otherwise our party will offer constructive criticism and resort to decisive actions. I don’t rule out problems with voting on the Prime Minister of Ukraine at the Verkhovna Rada. I hope that no money will change hands in parliament when this issue is put to the vote, as President Yushchenko assured, and that national interests will prevail over all other considerations.
Andriy ONISTRAT, head of the Kyiv regional office of Ukrsotsbank:
Yulia Tymoshenko is perhaps the only politician who is prepared and equipped to start working without delay on the budget income items and to straighten out budget tax returns. This fact alone proves that this year will be packed with problems for President Yushchenko, especially in terms of replenishing the budget. But I have a gut feeling that the new government will cope well with all these problems, precisely because of Mrs. Tymoshenko’s personal capacities. I believe she is quite a strong-willed individual and a severe taskmaster, so she will be able to implement the stated principles and norms. She has enough professional training and experience to do this; she was deputy prime minister in Yushchenko’s cabinet, and she was actively involved in business management. Therefore, I believe she can start working on the very first day, as she said so herself. There is also the problem of equal treatment of all business structures, regardless of their stand during the Orange Revolution, but I think Yulia Tymoshenko won’t be the one to solve it. I think that Viktor Yushchenko will take care of this issue. From the point of view of the banks, economic stability, which we expect with the rise to power of Viktor Yushchenko and his appointees, is a positive factor. There are several banks in this country that are failing to produce complete tax returns. I hope they will be brought to account.
Hennadiy MEDVEDEV, cofounder, the Svitova Karta restaurant chain:
What we expect from the new premier is improved conditions for the development of medium-sized businesses in Ukraine, a great deal of transparency with regard to cabinet’s performance, and reduced corruption at the executive level. These expectations are perfectly justifiable, because the new president has repeatedly talked about forming a new government that would be trusted by the people. Ukrainian business circles also expect the new executive authorities to provide conditions for fair market competition, without interference from the state in private business affairs, and to discharge their regulatory functions.
Ihor KYRYLLOV, businessman:
As a businessman, I always hope for the best but expect the worst. We are prepared for events to take a rather complicated course. At the same time, we believe that the overall situation will improve. The acting premier is a person with sufficient experience and knowledge. The big question is: How will [these good intentions] be implemented within the framework of the president’s policies? Personally I have more questions than answers.
