The paper analyses the problems of Ukrainian steam coalmines. We argue that the poor performance of this industry is a direct consequence of severe structural problems of the main consumer of steam coal, Ukraine’s power sector.
The policy papers are the joint product of the German Advisory Group for Economic Reforms in Ukraine and the IER aimed at providing economic policy recommendations to Ukraine’s policy makers. The recommendations are based on the careful analysis of Ukraine’s situation, state-of-the-art economic theory, and best international practices. The papers are available for policy makers and – with some time lag – for general public.
Archives:
The paper analyses the problems of Ukrainian steam coalmines. We argue that the poor performance of this industry is a direct consequence of severe structural problems of the main consumer of steam coal, Ukraine’s power sector.
Ukraine has harvested roughly 4,2 million tonnes of wheat in 2003, its worst wheat crop in decades. Policy makers in Ukraine have responded to this situation with a series of measures in recent months, many of which have actually limited the ability of markets to respond and relieve the current situation. Instead, they have sharpened shortages of wheat on Ukrainian markets and driven prices higher than necessary, as they have created insecurity on the part of importers and thus delayed necessary wheat imports while world market prices were continuously rising.
The status of land as private property has been institutionalised in Ukraine in recent years, which is a positive results of the agricultural land privatisation process. More than half of the land property certificates of former Kolkhoz members have already been transformed into state deeds on land property. But this is only the first step on the way of building a market for agricultural land.
The present study discusses the question whether horizontal integration of different utility providers into one joint holding can be seen as a panacea for solving their substantial problems, or whether it even deteriorates their perspective for competition-oriented development in the future.
Recently, Ukraine’s President signed an agreement on the formation of a Single Economic Space (SES) between Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. This agreement foresees implementation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and eventually transformation towards a Customs Union (CU). We first discuss the corresponding legal aspects and stress the contradiction with Ukraine’s standstill commitment in the ongoing negotiations on World Trade Organization (WTO) accession.
Recent developments on the Ukrainian food market have been marked by a sharp increase in wholesale and retail prices for the majority of food products. Food price increases could not leave poor consumers unaffected, and have caused widespread public concern. As a result, government agricultural policy has been re-oriented towards more intensive administrative interference.
This paper deals with possible financing patterns of higher education studies for the Ukraine. The Ukraine is a transition country that has started to reform the educational sector rather lately. To a large extent, structures and institutions from the socialist period are still in place as well as the financing patterns.
Simplified taxation was implemented in 1998, and was not reformed afterwards. The common feature of "simplified" taxes is that they are substitutes for several types of taxes, as well as social insurance contributions. However, current system of social insurance, developed in 1998-2001, does not take into account the specifics introduced by simplified taxation schemes.
Under the current agreement, Ukraine's USD 1.8 bn debt to the IMF is scheduled to be paid back by instalments up until 2009. Recently, the NBU and the President suggested that this debt should be repaid within the coming months.
Due to a poor grain harvest this year Ukraine has become a net importer of food grain in 2003/2004. This has lead to an increase in grain prices and generated a sense of "crisis" among the public.