Ukraine’s government rebuts emotionally opposition statements

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Opposition statements concerning unjustified character of raising gas tariffs for Ukraine’s population contradict the reality, a statement says released by the governmental press office late on September 18, a REGNUM correspondent informs.

“The political forces that as early as yesterday were in charge for the domestic and foreign policies, so they are fully accountable for the crisis they brought the economy about, have waged a campaign of political speculations concerning raising the gas price… They have deceived people and continue doing it now without shame, saying that gas extracted in Ukraine is allegedly enough for communal services,” the statement says.

“These are same people, who did not protest when in 2005 Timoshenko’s government did its utmost to break off highly favorable gas treaties with Russia and Turkmenistan. They silently gave their consent, and sometimes even publicly applauded to the critical derailment of our relations with our strategic partners. They did not raise the alarm, when the government was acting at random, without approved macroeconomic targets, with an unbalanced budget that did not foresee compensation for abrupt increase in price for energy carriers… These are the same people, who were carried away by establishment of the ‘orange’ coalition and kept eloquently silent, when the Yekhanurov government twice by its decisions in March and June raised the gas and energy prices, so the tariffs for common people also increased… Now these bankrupt politicians dare to be indignant at the current state of affairs and concerned about our people’s difficulties. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what you have done!” the document says.

At the same time, the governmental press office notes that putting things in order in economy and state finance, effective social protection of the people are tasks of top priority for the ruling anti-crisis coalition, and, thus, for the government. The statement stresses that a stabilization fund worth 3 billion hryvnas (about $600 million) is envisaged by the draft budget law 2007 to make up for possible increase of energy carriers prices.

It is worth reminding, leader of the Ukrainian opposition Yulia Timoshenko called “unjustified” raising the gas and communal services tariffs for population and claimed to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate the situation. According to Timoshenko, Ukraine’s residents consume fuel extracted inside the country, while the government explains the tariffs increase by raise of price for the Russian gas.