Posted by Andrew K on July 14, 2000 at 05:32:16:
In Reply to: Re: ß ÓÊÐÀ¯ÍÅÖÜ ³ öå çâó÷èòü ÃÎÐÄÎ posted by NEHORDYJ UKRAJINETZ on July 12, 2000 at 22:12:43:
:Valery Matviyenko deserves kudos for his insightful analysis of the forces impelling this country’s oligarchs toward a falling out among the thieves that have stolen and are still stealing this country blind. He also points out how many of them got so filthy rich: by ripping off the state for energy resources used to process metals then sold abroad, where the money usually remains.
Well, yes, stealing somebody's energy is not good. I think we all know that. What else 'insightful' is there?
:That Prosecutor General Potebenko has managed to find a few tens of millions of dollars that might be repatriated is little cause for jubilation: it might just mean that Western investigators are forcing the Ukrainian authorities to at least appear to be doing something with the information the West is awash in.
I think this is a very reasonable policy of the West. The task, of course, is very hard. How to catch all the thieves without getting other, even bigger thieves on their place? However, I do believe that information that the West is "awash in" should be made public ASAP. At least the theft that is going on now has to be known to the Ukrainians. There is no justification for hiding the truth.
:Or it could mean that rival oligarchs are now using the prosecutors against each others. It most likely means a little of both.
'Most likely'? Does the author know what he is writing about? Is this just another "they are all corrupt there" article without a shred of serious proof? What's the purpose here: an analysis of some real information, or some speculation to enhance the existing stereotypes?
:Add the sudden emergence of Ihor Bakai, former energy czar whose reputation for sticky fingers on a truly grandiose scale has earned him the status of persona non grata in the civilized world, as a legislative kingmaker. The whole spectacle begins to take on a surreal quality.
WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT? Come on, why is it so hard to actually MENTION the actual crimes?
: Meanwhile the mass of the people sink even more deeply into poverty. Investors advise the President that there is no investment because most people lack the money to buy the things the investors invest money to produce.
Were Korea or Malaysia able to buy much 30-40 years ago? So if I import a truckload of cigarettes into Ukraine which could be bought for the local people's money, what is it, investment? Such "investments" will only make Ukraine _poorer_, because some part of the profit from the sales will go only abroad. What Ukraine truly needs is a lot of exports, so that the cash could actually be brought back and reinvested. Now, we have to ask our dear EU partners: how come democratic, independent Ukraine still is not allowed to freely import its goods into the EU? China can do it for decades, Ukraine is still waiting. As with the corruption charges, again there seems to be a huge deficit of candor and real help.
:And now the taxmen are get set to dip even deeper into people’s pockets,
Yes, taxes are bad. And WHAT DOES IMF ASK FROM UKRAINE ALL THE TIME? Right, it asks for raising more cash in taxes. Otherwise: we will choke your economic growth by making you pay huge sums due to IMF. Again, a lot of talk, a not so much real help and advise. Make some ACTUAL calculations of what the taxes should be in Ukraine for its pensioners not to starve to death and Chernobyl being safely closed.