State programs on creation of the nuclear fuel cycle in Ukraine and development of own uranium production are not being fulfilled, according to Bohdan Sokolovsky, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's representative for international energy security issues.
Only some UAH 130 million out of around UAH 889 million planned in
the national budget have been used, which is almost twice less than in
2008, the president’s press service reported on Wednesday, referring to
Sokolovsky.
A cabinet resolution of August 19, 2009 redistributed budget funds
of the said strategic programs in the nuclear power sector to cover
current expenses of the coal sphere.
Thus, regardless of Ukrainian national interests and the president
calls to reform and provide the profitable functioning of the coal
sphere, the government made a populist decision aimed at temporarily
calming Ukrainian miners via trimming financing of the comprehensive
program on the creation of the nuclear-fuel cycle in Ukraine and the
state program on the bringing of unsafe facilities of Prydniprovsky
chemical plant to the environment-friendly state and provision of
public protection from ionizing radiation hazards, Sokolovsky said.
“The decision is evidence of an unprofessional approach of the
government in the drawing up and implementation of the budget. Thus,
Ukraine’s dependency on foreign nuclear fuel suppliers to NPPs is
growing, and our country’s position at talks with foreign potential
nuclear fuel and nuclear fuel technologies suppliers is weakening,” he
said.
Sokolovsky said that instead of diversification and support of
Ukrainian national producers, the government selected a simpler way –
to approve the state’s dependency on foreign nuclear fuel suppliers.
