Potential presidential candidate and banker Serhiy Tihipko has said that the economic independence of Ukraine is under a threat because of the government's ill-considered policy.
“The International Monetary Fund has become the only guarantor of
our country’s paying capacity. But it hardly wants to support Ukraine
in 2010,” Tihipko’s press service reported on Thursday.
The politician was commenting on IMF data predicting a growth of the
state debt by 77.9% in Ukraine in 2009 and the country’s need for $31.4
billion in financial support in 2010.
Tihipko said that next year the IMF plans to give Ukraine only $3.9
billion within the scope of the cooperation program. Ukraine has no
other sources of large loans.
“To please immediate interests, the government has thrown into
question the economic independence of the state. Now we have to deal
with foreign teams,” he said. According to the politician there is no
other country in the world that was not ruined after gaining the IMF’s
support.
It is necessary to reduce taxes, prices for credits, increase the
budget deficit and support production so as to overcome the crisis.
“Stimulate import replacement, stimulate goods for export and this will [wipe out] the trade deficit,” Tihipko said.
