The Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) has supported a proposal put forward by the Council of Exporters and Investors under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to coordinate efforts in expanding export opportunities for Ukrainian producers. This was discussed at a bilateral working meeting of the heads of the two organizations in Kyiv.
As was noted by Executive Secretary of the Council and Ambassador-at-Large Oleksandr Danyleiko, boosting exports of Ukrainian products is critical for economic growth, and therefore efforts by the government, the public and the business community should be doubled to help national businesses in the most efficient way possible.
He offered wide-range cooperation with the ULIE as a powerful association of industrialists and entrepreneurs that has visible results in promoting national exports and cooperation on a wide range of issues. This includes providing businesses with information about the needs and tenders of foreign partners, conditions of doing business abroad, assistance in concluding contracts as well. Representatives of the Council are also interested in conducting joint activities, using the platform of the actively working Center for Export Support, which was opened under the ULIE.
“We receive much information from our embassies as for business activity of foreign partners but we are not sure if all of it reaches Ukrainian businessmen. We need real guidance per sectors and practical steps. We look forward to your support in this,” Oleksandr Danyleiko said.
“The export policy is crucial today because the domestic market is at the stage of “freezing” amid the population’s falling solvency. We’ll have to work in both directions, as negative trends are seen everywhere: exports have fallen by 35% amid an 18% decline in domestic industrial production,” ULIE President Anatoliy Kinakh said.
According to him, exports promotion means addressing a number of domestic problems: the adoption of state programs for industrial development, support of small- and medium-sized businesses, qualitative upgrading of fiscal policy and the creation of a favorable business and investment climate. In addition, the state should work on compliance with the requirements of product quality and technical regulations of the EU, the possibility of diversifying exports from the eastern to western markets or the markets of third countries and so on. These proposals are articulated in a constantly updated anti-crisis program of joint actions of the government and businesses, sent to the country’s leaders and key ministries, including the Foreign Ministry.
The ULIE president informed his partners that a memorandum is to be signed in Brussels in early December on cooperation between the ULIE and BUSINESSEUROPE, which is the most powerful European business association, which includes national associations from 40 European countries.
“After this, we could more closely work in particular with those sectoral national associations that are most interesting to Ukrainian producers,” Anatoliy Kinakh said.
Vice President of the ULIE, Chair of the Center for Export Support at the ULIE Denys Krasnikov said that suggestions of some foreign business associations that are ready for sectoral partnerships with the Ukrainian side were collected at the U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum and the forum entitled “Ukraine-Canada: A Look into the Future.” Canadians alone have submitted more than 150 requests.
In order to better coordinate joint work, Executive Secretary of the Exporters Council Oleksandr Danyleiko suggested that the ULIE should finalize the concept of the organization, and invited Anatoliy Kinakh to join the Council.
The Council of Exporters and Investors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is a permanent platform that includes more than 60 representatives of sectoral unions and associations, leading Ukrainian enterprises and companies that actually represent the full range of export-oriented industries of Ukraine (primarily metalworking, engineering, chemical, agriculture, and services). It also involves the leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and the companies that implement large investment projects in Ukraine.
