Yesterday at 19:23
The restoration of Ukraine after the war should not be perceived as a process, but as a complete transformation of the state. First of all, institutional. This opinion was voiced by the executive director of the National Association of Road Workers of Ukraine Oleg Varivoda on the air of the FREEDOM TV channel.
“Restoring infrastructure is just one of the stages of Ukraine’s recovery. When we talk about restoration, we are talking about transformation first of all. What does this transformation imply? This is not only a restoration – better or worse, or in the same state before it was destroyed by the Russian aggressor. First of all, this is the institutional transformation of Ukraine,” Varivoda said.
He emphasized that Ukraine has to implement a number of reforms on the way to joining the European Union, NATO.
“This is the implementation of the reforms necessary for Ukraine to join the European Union, NATO. And when we say that recovery should start now, then these reforms should start now. Because our Western partners reproach us for the fact that we still have not completed the judicial reform, there are still problems with the rule of law, with the law enforcement system, and these are the factors that can spoil anything: good opinion and good reforms, our good attempts to change the country,” said the guest of the air.
In addition to carrying out institutional reforms, it is necessary to develop various mechanisms for financing recovery, including reforms, the expert says.
“Already today, according to various estimates of the World Bank and other international institutions, the damage caused to Ukraine due to the war amounts to hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars. And they are already talking about the amount that Ukraine will need – this is at least one trillion dollars. These are huge sums. Even post-war, say, Europe and the world have never encountered such for restoration. Therefore, here is a big question that needs to be worked out now: what will be the financing mechanisms,” Varivoda explained.
The speaker also drew attention to the fact that today it is necessary to create the very concept of restoration. That is, a vision of the future, for example, of each individual city.
“Let’s take Mariupol. What should it be? Are we building a factory city again or are we building a city with other sides that will allow this city to develop? So that it was not only Azovstal, for example. Let’s fantasize. I don’t want to get hung up on specifics. I don’t know, maybe there will be a resort city, maybe it is necessary to develop recreation there, ”the guest of the broadcast said.
At the same time, he added that Ukraine is already taking significant steps towards developments. There is a recovery plan prepared by the government, scientists, and the expert community, both international and domestic.
Varivoda reminded that Ukraine has developments regarding reforms and concrete actions in every sector: in infrastructure, in energy, in education, in healthcare, and so on. And this is already being done.
“We have created the Ministry of Reconstruction, which, at the end of last year, was created on the basis of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Regional Development. In addition, they are already creating the State Agency for Reconstruction on the basis of Ukravtodor and the State Agency for Infrastructure Projects. That is, steps are already being taken, concrete steps. The only question is that the development of these plans and mechanisms is not one day, because this is a large number of involved participants, ”Varivoda noted.
