For the Verkhovna Rada, we have left recommendations in the form of the adoption of draft laws on rail, road and inland waterway transport in order to implement the trade and political association agreement with the European Union. What to do for a new government and especially the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Three envelopes:
The first: Everything fell on us. Bad roads — but now we leave the Road Fund for 2020 with Hr 75 billion, compared to Hr 14 billion in 2016; destroyed railroad — now with new locomotives, a railway that is out of default and corporatized); corrupt ports — dredging, audit and environmental interaction procedure; Ukraine International Airlines monopoly — 40 percent passenger traffic growth, new lane at Odesa airport, Ryanair and Wizzair entry; no truck licenses — liberalization with Switzerland, Moldova, Turkey, Great Britain, Belarus.
The second: Everything will be fine soon: we are working in accordance with the National Transport Strategy 2030 and the Action Plan 2019 – 2021, we are implementing credit projects: public urban transport in cities of Ukraine for 40o million euros; electrification of Dolinska – Mykolayiv for 300 million euros; road safety for 150 million euros; transport TEN-T projects for 100 million euros; construction of Kremenchuk bridge of China ExImBank for $350 million; construction of Mykolayiv bridge of JICA for $400 million; completion of the Zaporizhya and Podilsky-Voskresenky bridge in Kyiv.
The third: To write three envelopes for us to return.
What are the development scenarios?
Optimistic:
They are doing everything according to our patterns, a little criticizing their predecessors and the infrastructure is being built. Important strategic decisions are taken, including joint ventures on electric locomotives, concessions of ports and airports, concession roads with the first stage of Great Kyiv Ring built; Open Skies with the EU, completion of the civil service reform.
Pessimistic:
They deny everything done by their predecessors and start inventing the bicycle, go on the lead of lobbyists, not accepting private locomotives and inland waterways. The infrastructure is declining. The EU ceases to provide financing – zero investment. As a result, reforming the government is a 911 call, and we are back again, but the time and confidence of the international financial institutions are lost.
What to do?
Criticize and expert recommendations, constantly and always – control every hryvnia through ProZorro and the nongovernmental organizations; request reports on reforms and business trips, cast complaints and requests on social networks and official sites.
What we have not completed: pilot projects on the concessions of Olvia and Kherson ports, toll roads Lviv-Krakivets and first Kyiv Ring, loan projects with Hungary and Poland in amount 150 million euros to be closed, finalization of investments with DP World and Hutchison Ports, increase of Polish quota permits and the creation of a National Transport Model.
#Everything will be infrastructure and Ukraine.
Viktor Dovhan is deputy minister of infrastructure of Ukraine on European integration.
