Against the background of prolonged mobilization, the head of the parliamentary committee on economic issues, Dmytro Natalukha, said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukrainian companies have lost an average of 10-20% of their workforce due to conscription or emigration. The new offensive of the Russians this year caused an even greater outflow of the population.
In his commentary for the Financial Times, Natalukha noted that more and more enterprises in Ukraine may close due to a lack of resources, which will have a negative impact on the economy. According to his forecasts, the situation may reach a critical point by the end of September.
"You can mobilize a million people, but without the resources to arm them, it will not make sense. The army will remain defenseless if the economy collapses," the deputy emphasized.
However, Natalukha expressed hope for the adoption of the draft law on economic reservation, which will allow 895,000 people to be kept in the workplace and attract about 200 million hryvnias for military needs. He noted that this money will be independent of political circumstances, such as the actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán or the US presidential election.
However, the initiative is controversial amid a shortage of soldiers at the front. Some criticize the draft system, which depends on finances, as unfair. Natalukha pointed out that about 800,000 men try to avoid mobilization by working illegally and changing their address. This forces TCC employees to pay more attention to companies where employees are physically present.
Oleg Horohovskyi, co-founder and general director of Monobank, noted that in the conditions of war and economic crisis, it is difficult to avoid unpopular decisions. He emphasized that in a situation where the resources of the aggressor exceed Ukrainian resources, "it is not about justice, but about efficiency." Highly skilled workers, such as programmers, may be more useful in the back office than on the front lines.
Natalukha added: "You can't win a war just by being fair. War is unjust in itself.”
Economy booking
Previously, Natalukha stated that shadow economy booking in Ukraine is estimated from $700 million to $2 billion per year. According to him, the implementation of one of the projects can attract 5 billion dollars to the state treasury, which is 40% of the additional budget for the army.
The Verkhovna Rada is considering a new idea regarding economic booking, where businesses will "pay" for their goods and services. According to the Ministry of Economy, a total of 1.2 million people can be reserved from mobilization in Ukraine to meet military needs.
