My fellow compatriots!
I want to state my clear and open position concerning the situation amongst the authorities of Ukraine, but to do this first we need to separate reality from the imaginary.
What is real to us is the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. What is real to us is the decline of our economy and our poverty. What is real to us is that to bring about reform, to solve the problems of war and peace in Ukraine will not be possible for another year or two. What is real to us are the negative global processes that put additional pressure on Ukraine. What is real to us is that no one else in this world will do our job for us. What is real to us is that the incumbent Government has enacted more reforms than in the past two decades.
What is real to us is that the incumbent government has enacted more reforms than in the past two decades.
We have managed to preserve the country, repel Russia, create a new army, ensure energy independence and we are paying all pensions and salaries.
We have accumulated finance, prevented an economic collapse, simplified public services and the business environment, devolved financial resources to local authorities, established a brand-new National police and we have signed and are implementing the long-awaited Agreement with the European Union.
Whilst we have protected the state from the first offensive, the enemy is far from retreat and the changes we have launched will take a while to yield lasting results. We have passed the halfway point.
We must never stop. We must be consistent with our course toward transformation by each and every means. We mustn’t get disenchanted with our goal, for if we do all our efforts will become useless. Many states and nations have survived similar tests. Those that became victors are those in which the wisdom, maturity and a readiness for the long run were demonstrated by the political class – political leaders, truly national parties, intellectuals, public influencers, journalists.
Over a year, the government has been working in a tough, often hostile environment. My colleagues were a daily target for lies, defamation and accusations. We hoped that the facts of our success would outweigh the virtuality of the lies. Our internal enemies are no different from our external enemy, working to prevent change through: populism, ignorance, an attempt to take revenge for old schemes and influences.
The reform process is also being hampered by contradictions in the Constitution. The fear of losing rank makes weak those who should have demonstrated leadership. The attempts to impose individual will on the government finally made us publicly proclaim the principles that are now our red line. We will not tolerate any unconstitutional interference in the work of the government, any pressure to resume corrupt practices or any delays to the reform process.
We will not tolerate any unconstitutional interference in the work of the government, any pressure to resume corrupt practices or any delays to the reform process.
For the first time in our modern history, the government has presented a formal report on its activity. We have charted our programme of action – step by step, of what we intend to do in 2016. But in response, we have not heard a single word concerning the essence of reform. In response we heard hatred, rage and manipulation of people’s feelings. In the political hysteria, I see only the lack of concern for Ukraine. I see here a singular aim… to seize power.
To achieve this by dismissing the government through a temporary paralysis of the central executive branch and by forcing the president to call for pre-term parliamentary elections, the result of which is quite predictable – they will end in our ruin. I appealed to parliament with a question to consider the issue of the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. This decision was not supported by the majority of members of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada. Therefore this Government is absolutely legitimate and will continue its activity.
But political uncertainty remains and we must put an end to it. The responsibility for this should be placed on all in authority – the president and his faction, other political forces, which had formed the European Ukraine coalition including the People’s Front, the Motherland, the Self-Reliance and the Oleh Lyashko Radical Party, all of whom signed the coalition agreement and approved the Action Programme for the Cabinet of Ministers. The programme, we as the coalition government have implemented and continue to implement. The programme on which I reported to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and interestingly have not heard any substantive criticism.
Responsibility must be real but not imaginary. The People’s Front and I feel our responsibility for the country every day. Today, resolute steps are crucial to maintain control over the country and to ensure the uninterrupted process of reform.
Our government has developed an action plan for this year.
But it’s not just the government’s action plan – it is the agenda for future development of the country, a country that has demanded that we should become a truly European state. It consists of two main parts: the first is economic growth, including the creation of new jobs and a reduction of poverty; the second is the restoration of the social contract, or, I would call it, the principle of serving the citizens of Ukrainian and restoring their confidence in the authorities.
To ensure economic growth we enacted a number of fundamental measures, to consolidate the banking sector and resume access to credit facilities; to conduct the effective and historically transparent privatization with the participation of a wide range of investors and to reform state-owned enterprises. Our plan comprises pursuing a new industrial policy, the appointment of new and effective CEOs to chair 50 major state-owned companies, the opening of new markets for Ukrainian exports, the signing of agreements on free trade areas with Canada, Turkey and Israel, the establishment of at least four trade missions to promote Ukrainian export in new markets and expand the map of business forums.
The basis of our program is the implementation of the agreement on free trade area with the European Union. We propose to maximize the efficiency of investment of public capital spending 70 percent of it on road reconstruction, 30 percent will be used to complete projects in the final stages of construction.
Price hikes can be stopped through effective fiscal, monetary and economic policy. To do this, Ukraine must adhere to the reforms in the framework of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and other international financial institutions.
We must ensure effective fiscal policy, switch to e-procurement for all public institutions, transfer to direct welfare payments, take advantage of the Governments recently introduced twofold reduction of payroll tax and bring salaries out of the shadow, to implement the reform of the State Fiscal Service, to fight corruption in the customs through the hands-on participation of experienced experts from western countries.
It is crucial to complete the reform in the energy sector. We have passed through the winter without buying a single cubic meter of gas from Russia. Our objective is to ensure the profitability and independence of the NJSC Naftogaz Ukraine, to increase production of domestic energy resources and to complete energy independence of the country within the next ten years. It is possible. The replacement of boilers, insulation of buildings, access to the subsidy facility and payment for the quality housing and utility services are the major components of our energy reform for the country.
We should begin land reform. I consider necessary to sell through an open transparent auction 1 million hectares of state-owned land, which is now being used for corrupt and illegal schemes. Regarding health care reform, this year we should introduce the minimum level of free medical services guaranteed by the State. All the other items of expenditures should be funded from state medical insurance fund, which must cover every citizen of the country. The education of our children is the basis of the future of our country and it is secondary education which requires a cardinal change. The essential principle of secondary education is not the number of schools, but the quality of the educational process; to ensure training materials and advanced knowledge for each student, whilst guaranteeing a decent wages for professional teachers.
In terms of curbing corruption, we must appoint a new independent Prosecutor General of Ukraine, enhance the credibility and ensure the efficient operation of the National Agency for the identification, recovery and management of proceeds of corruption as well as the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption. This year, it is essential to confiscate and return to the state $1.5 billion that were plundered by the previous regime and arrested as a result of the action of the Government in the Ukrainian state banks. These funds will be allocated to improve the country’s defense capability and to increase social protection of the citizens of Ukraine.
It is a realistic programme of action, which also includes the reform of public administration and the judiciary, the fight against monopolies, the introduction of rules and standards in compliance with those of the European Union, part of which we are striving to become.
It is my program. This program should become our common program. These specific actions require the support of the President of the country, his faction and other sensible forces in the Ukrainian Parliament. I have not heard of any alternatives to this program or any propositions to it. Nor has there been a single person offered with the right level of expertise to implement all the points of such a programme. There is no time for delay. There is only time for action.
There is no time for delay. There is only time for action.
The government has demonstrated action and is resolute to continue the fight. I appeal to the president and all national political forces.
Demonstrate action, either by addressing society with a realistic alternative programme and an effective team capable of translating it into tangible policy… a programme, instead of the slogans. Or by ending this damaging struggle, subduing emotions and internal feelings and supporting the action plan necessary for the country in the current year.We have no right to halt the reforms and to engage in internal rivalries. We must move forward. This reality is vital to our future.
May God protect our army, our citizens, may God protect Ukraine.
