This was stated by MP from the OPPOSITION BLOC Serhiy Lovochkin, commenting on the information of the State Statistics Service on industrial production this year.

“The fall of industry in the first six months of 2017 cannot be explained by the inertia of the events of three years ago. In many respects this is the result of fresh strategic miscalculations,” the deputy considers.

According to the State Statistics Service, in the first half of 2017 industrial output was 0.4% less than in the same period last year. With the same comparison of 2017 with 2013, the indicators are only 78.5% of the volume of industrial production. And this is at comparable indicators - without taking into account the annexed Crimea and the ATO zone.

In the regional context, the biggest drop since the beginning of the year was demonstrated by Donetsk (-11.7% for the first half of the year) and Luhansk Oblasts (-25%). In industry - metallurgy (a decrease of 2.7%), the mining industry (by 6%), electricity production (by 8.6%).

“This is an obvious result of such a decision as the blockade of Donbas. Its role is played by the lack of a strategy for restoring this region. After the creation of the Ministry of Occupied Territories, the theme of the restoration of Donbas blurred between it and the Ministry of Regional Development, and in fact turned out to be nobody’s. In addition, the references to the “Marshall Plan for Ukraine” practically disappeared, which was the top theme in 2014-15. It was supposed to accumulate billions of dollars from foreign donors. Finally, there is no strategy for industrial development,” Serhiy Lovochkin says.

The deputy is sure that the revitalization of the restoration of industry throughout the country and Donbas in particular is a tool that will allow the growth of the economy as a whole to resume.

“Only when plans to support industry and restore Donbas are realized and implemented, only then there will be the growth of the economy and real incomes of citizens. The purpose of the OPPOSITION BLOC is to make this course the state strategy of Ukraine,” the politician stated.

 

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