Taras Kutovoy
Many officials in Ukraine equate "politics" with "populism." Clearly, even after the Revolution of Dignity, this formula remains unchanged. Clever clerks manage to adapt to the situation in pursuit of high positions. One such person is Taras Kutovyi, a member of parliament from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations.
(read more about it Taras Kutovoy: Minister for the Rip-off of Ukraine's Agricultural Sector)
Taras Viktorovych enjoys giving press comments and appearing on top-rated political television shows. There, he talks at length about the country's problems and how to solve them. He makes seemingly reasonable statements, like those of an economics professor or an online blogger. But so far, he's been a mediocre and unfounded reformer. Back in 2012, he promised that all personal income tax, land tax, and real estate tax would remain in local budgets. He promised to align agricultural businesses with villages and rural territorial communities. He claimed, both in 2012 and 2014, that he would actively attract investment to the Poltava region, where he ran for parliament. But Kutovoy hasn't delivered on any of this. And that's only a small part of his campaign promises. And if you look at the numbers, the statistics show that Taras Viktorovych delivers on less than 9% of what he promises to the gullible. Kutovoy currently chairs the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations. But the populist politician's ambitions are much greater – last summer, he named himself the man to replace then-Minister of Agriculture, Ihor Shvaika. However, Kutovoy failed to implement this plan. Now, his name has again been mentioned among the contenders for the position within the Presidential Administration and behind the scenes in the Verkhovna Rada. This is hardly surprising, however, as the MP from the pro-presidential bloc himself is actively spreading this information. He's completely unabashed about discussing this with his colleagues and literally boasts, calling himself the next Minister of Agriculture. He even gave a specific timeframe: supposedly, after the ministers' public report to the Cabinet on August 28, Minister Pavlenko was supposed to be filmed, with his appointment announced the following week. But Kutovoy's fantasies remained just that – fantasies – Prime Minister Yatsenyuk hasn't dismissed anyone and, apparently, won't do so. It's hard to imagine the chaos that could unfold in one of today's leading ministries after the appointment of Kutovoy, a man who has fulfilled only one of his 11 promises. Kutovoy's incompetence and lack of professionalism have been repeatedly noted by his colleagues, members of the People's Front party and the All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda." Behind the scenes in the Verkhovna Rada, there's frequent discussion of how the savvy politician pushes through various bills to benefit vested interests. For example, bill No. 2527, which "proposes VAT refunds to producers if they are direct exporters." And this is happening at a time when members of parliament, on the contrary, are proposing VAT refunds specifically for those companies that serve the domestic, not foreign, market. In particular, in the agricultural sector, for example, a moratorium on the export of timber and sawn timber has already been adopted – precisely in order to protect domestic producers and help the industry.
In any case, the agricultural sector is currently key to the development of the Ukrainian economy. And if Kutovoy suddenly manages to secure the post of head of the department, a nationwide embezzlement will be guaranteed. After all, Taras Kutovoy, along with Lev Partskhaladze, were among the key figures in Kyiv's semi-legal and illegal development schemes in the 2000s. What they fought and died for on the Maidan and what they are now fighting for in the east of the country—a new and prosperous Ukraine free from corruption, various "Families" and clans—will instantly return to the highest echelons of power. And allowing figures like Kutovoy to hold key positions is absolutely unacceptable. Ukrainians have already learned their lesson from the time when politicians who came after the Orange Revolution continued to plunder the country and work in the interests of specific groups and oligarchs. Back then, in 2004-2005, our country was able to peacefully overthrow an undesirable government. But now, after the second Maidan, when the price of change is measured in thousands of Ukrainian lives and the annexation of Crimea, politicians must be aware of the sacrifices citizens made for the country's development and prosperity. The Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidential Executive Office must understand the risks of appointing thieves and corrupt officials to ministerial positions. After all, with the "Kutovs" in ministerial positions and their reforms, a third Maidan will not be long in coming.
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