2020 turned out to be a lost year for our country not only due to the epidemic and its consequences, but also because the government had postponed solving of nation’s key problems for an indefinite period. This was stated by OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin summing up the year 2020.

“This year, not a single expectation of the society in politics, economy, or social sphere has been met. Ukraine’s major problems remained exactly the same as a year ago, some aggravated even more. And it's not just the epidemic: no progress had been shown in issues that did not depend on the lockdowns. The country is in a vicious circle of problems: the war – lack of investments – economic crisis – debt buildup – social crisis. And all of these are carried over from 2020 to 2021,” the politician believes.

He reminded how the society had high expectations a year ago, after the Paris summit of the Normandy Four. But only stable peace has been implemented since, with its potential running out.

“The lack of progress in the peace process has been affecting everything. Over 10 months of 2020, the inflow of foreign direct investment shortened by 20 times, from $4.5 billion to $221 million. Investors are leaving for they no longer believe that this administration can actually stop the war,” Lovochkin said.

The politician believes that the government has lost the opportunity to unlock the industrial and transit potential of the country.

“The bypass gas pipelines are built in the north and in the south. Deindustrialization of the economy continues because no smart industrial policy had been developed,” Lovochkin explained.

According to him, the deficit of foreign investments is aggravated by the lack of state support for the economy.

“The government has realized the need to provide loans to businesses, but the ‘5-7-9’ program remained just a promise as long as the banking sector shows no interest in providing such loans. Not a single program for direct government aid to the real sector has been put in place, just like no efficient steps for promoting Ukrainian goods at foreign market have been taken,” the MP said.

“This results in the fact that the state budget 2021 allocates an amount for servicing and payment of the public debt that is larger than half of the budget income. The social items of the budget will receive even less funding due to that. If we lose 2021 the same way we lost 2020 and the previous five years, the situation will aggravate even further the year later. And so on and so on. The government must realize that ‘red lines’ are not what it defines as ‘red lines’; the only red line here is the poverty line of the nation and its citizens, and it has been crossed.

“This is why it’s important that 2021 is not another lost year. That it becomes a breakthrough year in peace and economy sectors, despite all forecasts. We have all prerequisites for that; that only thing that’s needed is political will,” Lovochkin summed up.