You're reading: Ukrainian entrepreneurs petition IMF in open letter

Editor's Note: The following open letter was addressed to the International Monetary Fund on Nov. 21 by The Public Assembly of Small and Medium Businesses of Ukraine.

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn,
IMF Executive Directors

700 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20431
Fax: + 1 (202) 623-4661

Dear Sirs and Madams,

On October 18th, the pro-government majority of Ukrainian Parliament accepted in the second reading a new Revenue Bill. The Bill was written under the direction of the pro-government large businesses and dramatically increases pressure through the taxation and administration on small and medium businesses.

An incompetent government, which cannot change the situation in the economy of Ukraine for better, decided to cover the holes using money from International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government is going to pull the funds to repay the debt from small and medium businesses using the new Revenue Bill. This will cause the destruction of small and medium businesses.

Hundreds of organizations of business owners, analysts, hired-employees, veterans, and independent unions stated the unacceptability of the enactment of the Revenue Bill. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian government insists on the adoption of the statute of this Revenue Bill by referring to IMF who accepted this Bill.

We are appealing to you with one request and demand: stop crediting the Ukrainian government whose actions are leading to the destruction of small and medium businesses – the foundation of the free market. Now millions of people are facing a very simple new future – lose their jobs, be hired by the Ukrainian slaveowners (oligarchs), or immigrate abroad for a possible better future.

Turn back to your own aims, specifically to one of them: “promoting job creation, economic growth, and poverty reduction.”

Starting September 23rd, 2010, the Public Assembly of Small and Medium Businesses of Ukraine runs an indefinite, peaceful action against the new Revenue Bill. Hundreds of thousands of people already participated, and still do.

We will not stop our fight, and are calling you to do everything you can, so a new stage, when citizens of Ukraine will deny to payback credits which were taken without their permission and against their interest, will not come to reality.

We hope for your understanding and appropriate response.