Secretariat finds new gaps in Government’s work

The Government of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has no reasons to be optimistic, even though it often declares the national economy is robust and stable, Viktor Bondar, President Victor Yushchenko’s deputy chief of staff, said on Monday, President's press office reported.

Bondar said that Ukraine’s industrial, transportation and utility infrastructure was in decay, with new accidents happening almost every day.

“The Government establishes new ministries and appoints new ministers but this does not help resolve the problem. Moreover, the Government acts shortsightedly and negligently, making the situation worse,” he said, citing the Cabinet’s March 14/2007 resolution to develop and repair water mains and drainage systems to substantiate his accusations.

The Government suggests spending UAH 200 mln on these repairs, planning to give UAH 130 mln to the eastern regions of Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv and UAH 70 mln to the rest of the regions. Deputy Prime Minister Azarov said western Ukraine has more water than it needs to explain why the money will be sent to the east. Bondar said Azarov was wrong, as infrastructure accidents happen in the west as frequentlyas they do in the country’s other regions.

“The President of Ukraine is convinced all citizens should receive fair state aid no matter where they live,” he said, adding that Victor Yushchenko had rescinded this resolution and that it had later been repealed by the government.

Bondar described a recent drainage accident in the town of Polonne in the Khmelnitsky region as “the tip of the iceberg” and said the government had greater mistakes and failures and had done little or nothing over the past year. He said its policies to develop Ukraine's infrastructure were ineffective and its aid for the regions insufficient and disproportionate.