People’s Deputy, the Party of Regions parliamentary faction member, Minister of the Housing and Communal Sector of the Opposition government Oleksandr Popov making a speech at the tribune of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, said that nowadays the housing and communal sector was not ready for the beginning of a heating season. In particular, he marked the following:

- The situation which is occurring today in the field of housing and communal services, in my opinion, does not answer the interests of the country’s national security. The statements that the housing and communal sector is ready for the beginning of a heating season are either self-delusion or intentional misinformation. The point is that for the time being equipment deterioration in the system of housing and communal services in various sub-industries reaches from 25 to 84 per cent. It means that the industry cannot show stable performance in such a situation.

The Party of Regions faction has repeatedly pointed out numerous mistakes committed by the current government this year while the latter carried out its policy in the housing and communal sector. Such work resulted in the losses of the enterprises within the housing and communal sector over the first half-year of current year, which twice as much as over the similar period of past year. The arrears of salary to workers of the housing and communal industry have also doubled.

Besides, we are at the stage of considerable rise in prices for energy carriers. By the end of the year the gas and electrical power price will grow approximately by 27-30 per cent. It will automatically entail an increase in the costs of housing and communal services more than by 20 per cent. The citizens of Kirovograd will have to pay only for heating over 300 hryvnias so far if they live in a two-room apartment. But it is just the beginning.

If anyone says now that the institutions of local government are in charge thereof, it is absolutely wrong because, in my opinion, the government is to blame. Precisely this year, financing of investment programs was dramatically diminished in the housing and communal sector. As a result, it drew less investment by two billion hryvnias. And it means that hundreds of kilometers of pipelines, thousands of units of pumping and electrical equipment have been not renewed.

In this situation it is necessary to pay special attention to the country’s socio-economic development program and the 2009 budget, which the government introduced before Verkhovna Rada. Is there any governmental support of the housing and communal industry? Nothing of a kind. It happens for the first time during the history of Ukraine’s independence. What does it mean? It means that all the costs of updating capital assets which will be incurred by the enterprises within the housing and communal services in the future will be shifted onto tariffs. In other words - onto the population of Ukraine. I suggest all factions, all parliamentary political forces uniting so that it сould be avoided, so that together we сould approve the decisions and laws which will change the situation in the housing and communal sector for the better - for the benefit of our citizens.

The Party of Regions’ Press Service