<I>The Day</I>’s Question

Vyacheslav MYKHAILUTSA, Deputy General Manager, Motor Sich Inc., Zaporizhzhia:

“The world of the economy and production knows no boundaries. We have opened our borders, brought down the old iron walls and are now working, like interconnecting vessels, with the whole world. Capitals are flowing across the borders, as are goods and manpower; dotcom trade is in wide use. This is why we can also employ Russian managers. Russia, too, can use the services of Ukrainian experts. For example, Germany spends large money today to attract Ukrainian programmers. So I consider it no longer wise to take the ‘whup ‘em all’ approach. We must cooperate in all areas, including that of personnel exchange.”

Oleh SALMIN, People’s Deputy, Honorary President, Ukrnafta Inc.:

“I support inviting professional managers, irrespective of their nationality, to Ukraine. The point is they should be professionals ready to breathe a new life into the Ukrainian economy. For example, the Russian Kiseliov came to ICTV and thus raised the standards of Ukrainian television as a whole. The same story with the management. For the Russians will be followed by others: Britons, Frenchmen, and so on. Nobody is asking today whether Ukraine needs Russian capital investments — of course, it does. The same, incidentally, applies to US or British capitals. Likewise, we must be indifferent to whether Russian or any other human capital comes to us. Management is a tremendous resource capable of earning money and preserving capital.”

Volodymyr TARANENKO, Executive Director, Association of the Metallurgical Industry of Ukraine:

“I think Ukraine needs both capitals and managers. But, before utilizing foreign money and inviting foreign managers to key posts, we must decide by ourselves what we want. For we still do not have a clear-cut program of much-hyped reforms approved by parliament, the government, and the President. So we must first decide on the way we want to reform the economy and build our society and only then seek out the required means, including managers. If we lack managers of our own, we must invite foreigners.”

Iryna ZARIA, President, First Stock Market System (PFTS):

“Ukraine does need Russian, American, German, Swiss, Cypriot, Uruguayan, or Lithuanian capitals... We should never say that we only need capital flowing from one specific country.

“As to managers, what chiefly characterizes a manager is not his nationality. Russia has both good and not so good managers. It does not matter at all where the manager comes from. Of course, it would be better to have our own, Ukrainian managers, who could promote Ukraine’s economic growth after working and studying abroad.”