You're reading: Korolevska: Ukraine’s energy security again in jeopardy

Bills on the privatization of coalmining enterprises and the reform of the Ukrainian oil and gas sector up for second reading in parliament pose a direct threat to Ukraine's energy security and should be withdrawn, the leader of Ukraine - Ahead! Party and the head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on industrial and regulatory policy and entrepreneurship, Natalia Korolevska, has said.

"An acute question, which is on the agenda, is the privatization of the country’s strategically important enterprises. I’m talking about bills Nos. 9412, 9713 and 9429-1, in which the government envisages the mechanisms and prerequisites for the shadow privatization of the Ukrainian gas transport system, coal mining companies, and heat and power plants. That is, through these bills, the government is jeopardizing the country’s entire energy security," she said at a meeting of the parliament’s conciliatory council on Monday, Apr. 9.

According to the party’s press service, Korolevska said that this matter is socially important, "as the fate of thousands of people is behind each coalmine, and each enterprise or heat and power plant."

"What will happen to people after the privatization of the company that feeds them? I’m appealing to the government and the majority in parliament – remove these bills from consideration. They should go through parliamentary hearings and be discussed with the people in the regions that will be directly affected by the adoption of these laws," she said.

Korolevska also said that this week parliament should pay attention to the question of an increase in the living wage.

"The Social Policy Ministry has published the actual size of the living wage, which, even after statistical data, is from 8% to 16% lower than the real living wage envisaged in the state budget. Therefore, I propose considering this week a bill to improve procedures for the formation of the consumer basket and the determination of the living wage (No. 9769) and on the establishment of the living wage and the minimum wage (No. 9768)," she said.

"The basic social standards that were included in the budget for 2012 are substantially understated," Korolevska said.