OREANDA-NEWS. September 08, 2011. The program of import substitution is the most important document for the Ukrainian economy lately, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov considers.

Opening the Cabinet of Ministers meeting, the Head of Government has stressed that the volume of import of the industrial goods for 2001-2010 has increased approximately 4 times while own production has increased only 3,2 times. “In international trade, Ukraine still has a niche commodity, while presenting an open market for high-tech goods from other countries. Quality of life in our country is determined, unfortunately, not by the Ukrainian goods”, - the Prime Minister has added, having underlined that such situation cannot satisfy, as it makes the Ukrainian economy vulnerable for external risks.

“Time when the destiny of Ukraine depended on, whether will give IMF the next credit, or to grow the world prices for oil and gas, will be stable demand for metallurgical goods and goods of the chemical industry, should depart in the past. We should create much more self-sufficient economy”, - Mykola Azarov convinced. As he said, it will be promoted by programs of import substitution, power savings and power efficiency.

As Mykola Azarov has noted, the program of import substitution is directed on support of a domestic commodity producer, on expansion of internal consumption: “It means that first of all it is directed on support of the domestic worker, the citizen which own work establishes well-being of the family and the state”.

According to him, at present work on the program already comes to an end. In this context the Prime Minister charged the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to “test” carefully the program of import substitution once again, the initiatives of business to work out and to bring the specific proposals directed at strengthening of support for domestic producer.