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The Ukrainian industrial community has adopted anti-crisis recommendations to the government of Ukraine and the National Committee for Industrial Development. The proposals put forth by more than a hundred business structures working under the umbrella of the Anti-Crisis Council of NGOs and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine will form the basis for cooperation between entrepreneurs and the authorities, including through the above-mentioned Committee and the newly created Office of the Representative of Industrialists, Entrepreneurs and Employers in parliament. The Office will start work in the near future and will become a unique platform in Ukraine for direct communication between entrepreneurs and parliamentarians, for transparent lobbying of economic changes. This was discussed at the 14th Congress of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) at NSC Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv.
Having estimated the available economic potential, business representatives aim to stop deindustrialization, foster significant GDP growth, reduce pressure on entrepreneurs and encourage investment and self-development.
"We demand that modern industrial policy be pursued in the country consistently, in line with chosen directions towards breakthrough innovations and investment. It is necessary to broaden presence in foreign markets as much as possible and propose added-value products to the world. At the same time, most enterprises need to be modernized along with the introduction of new technologies," ULIE President Anatoliy Kinakh said.
Meanwhile, he stressed, not a single comprehensive program has been adopted and implemented in the country – this concerns aerospace, machine building, R&D, even an overall economic strategy. In his view, the lack of effective steps to upgrade the industrial and innovation policy, improve the banking, monetary and fiscal systems, reform the housing and utilities sector leads to the fact that GDP is growing within the margin of statistical error (0.1%), and mainly raw materials accounting for 75% of total exports are shipped abroad. What is more, Ukraine tops ratings of the poorest countries of the Eurasian continent in terms of households' paying capacity (up to 80% are below the poverty line, according to various sources).
The consolidated position of the Ukrainian business community in parliament will be promoted by its permanent Office, which was established by the ULIE together with associations of Ukrainian businesses and employers. It will strengthen cooperation between industrialists and lawmakers in adopting important laws for economic development. Independent analysts and lawyers will work for the Office, they will process proposals that will come from businesses and will formulate legislative initiatives on their basis. The lawmakers who were present at the Congress confirmed their readiness to do everything to facilitate and assist the Office in its work.
"The creation of representation in parliament is a first strong step. Currently, much-needed bills on the creation of industrial parks, an export credit agency and others have already been tabled in parliament. We'll have a tool to influence these processes. The next step is to strengthen cooperation with the government through the newly formed National Committee. Business should have a position that is united and consolidated to ensure its voice is heard," Chairman of the Employers' Federation Dmytro Oliynyk said.
Participants in the Congress said that the development of small businesses, the creation of up to one million jobs in the sector on condition of establishing public-private partnerships, popularization of modern micro crediting technologies in the banking sector are topics that are of great current interest now. The ULIE has already been implementing a joint project with PrivatBank by organizing a series of "Ukraine is a Country of Entrepreneurs" forums in Kyiv and the regions, which aim to popularize business initiatives, free counseling for startups and provide comprehensive support to them.
"In future, this initiative should become the basis for the formation of a national strategy for strengthening the middle class, developing small-sized businesses. In other countries they are the main customer of democratic reforms and main taxpayer (50-70%)," Anatoliy Kinakh said.
The anti-crisis program of joint actions of the government and businesses as a consolidated position of the business community, employers of Ukraine will be finalized on the basis of the submitted proposals in the coming week. Also, the business community wants the National Bank of Ukraine to deliver a report in parliament with the involvement of the country's leaders and the public in order to give a depoliticized, fair assessment of what has been happening in the banking sector. And based on that, without populism, respective decisions should be taken.
"The first steps have been taken, boosting dialogue with government officials, parliament is successful. But this is just the beginning – we must have a clear goal: steady GDP growth, financially stable households, the development of the domestic market and the local producer, the production of added-value commodities, energy efficient policy. There is simply no other way to develop Ukraine," the ULIE President summed up.
The delegates highly evaluated the ULIE's performance in the international and national economic sphere and the support of businesses. ULIE President Anatoliy Kinakh was elected for a new term. Further, the delegates elected the ULIE Board, vice-presidents, approved amendments to the ULIE Charter and the mandate of the organization's regional offices.