03/08/2022, 23:23
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Neue Begründung:
Why is the debt unfair?
Ukraine remains one of the poorest countries in Europe which now also is forced to defend itself against the aggression and the military offensive of Russia’s army - the second largest army in the world. Budgetary expenditure on arms and medical needs of the wounded have grown exponentially. In the aftermath of the war Ukraine will also need money to reconstruct its homes and infrastructure.
In such conditions, debt servicing is only possible if Ukraine is to deny its citizens satisfaction of their most urgent needs.
Chaotic borrowing and antisocial debt conditionality was a result of total oligarchisation: unwilling to fight the wealthy, the state rulers kept getting deeper in debt. Loans were issued under conditions of social spending cuts, and their repayment forced to economise on vital needs and apply austerity to foundational economy sectors.
Due to the lack of funds, Ukraine’s hospitals are poorly equipped, medical worker jobs of all ranks are cut and those with remaining jobs are underpaid as are teachers and other public sector workers. For example, many in some mining industry are not paid at all, wages are in arrears.
The largest trade union organisations of the country who represent some 5,000,000 workers too have joined the call for debt cancellation.
Who would benefit from the debt burden cancellation?
Such a move would help the people of Ukraine as due to the military invasion it needs funds to protect its civilians, provide housing for the displaced persons and medication for the wounded.
Such a move would be beneficial to our EU neighbours as it would invigorate economic activity in Ukraine and will thus lower a chance of an ongoing war in Europe and would allow to rebuild Ukraine’s economy and the bomb-annihilated infrastrucure. Welfare of Ukraine is critically important for stability of the whole Europe, the whole world.
What would be consequences of the debt burden cancellation?
- It would facilitate reconstruction of the strategic and infrastructure enterprises destroyed as a result of military action
- It would halt austerity in the social sphere and would allow, with time, to rebuilt their functionality and quality, allow their workers make a decent living
- It would establish justice in relations with the EU and Ukraine, would become yet another meaningful act of support.
We express our gratitude to the Polish party Razem who have already made a suggestion that Ukraine’s debt obligations are taken over by the European Central Bank and other creditors.
Links:
- www.imf.org/external/np/fin/tad/extforth.aspx?memberkey1=993&date1key=2021-12-31&category=forth&year=2018&trxtype=repchg&overforth=f&schedule=exp&extend=y
- bank.gov.ua/files/ES/ZB_y_en.pdf
- www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/ukraine/external-debt
- tradingeconomics.com/ukraine/external-debt
- partiarazem.pl/2022/02/uwolnijmy-ukraine-od-dlugow/
- partiarazem.pl/2022/02/postanovlennya-natsionalnoyi-rady-partiyi-livi-razom-shchodo-napadu-rosiyskoyi-federatsiyi-na-ukrayinu/
- www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/why-ukraine-needs-foreign-debt-cancellation-now/?fbclid=IwAR10t8ir-9bcliZmOKOEy7wO1m2_w6LVekzUKjfCstrz5cY6mwhPTm2uepU
Translations:
1. Ukrainian www.openpetition.eu/petition/online/ludi-v-usomu-sviti-prosat-mvf-skasuvati-zovnisnij-borg-ukraini
4. Japanese teletype.in/@alefnull/cancel-ukraine-debt-japanese
5. Basque teletype.in/@alefnull/cancel-ukraine-debt-basque
Signatures at the time of the change: 887