Publication: Coal Industry Restructuring in Ukraine : The Politics of Coal Mining and Budget Crises
Date
1998-12
ISSN
Published
1998-12
Author(s)
Lovei, Laszlo
Abstract
Restructuring Ukraine's coal
industry has been even more difficult and politicized than
reforming its electricity and gas industries. Coal reform
has divided Parliament and the government into two camps -
one supporting populist policies and the other supporting
fiscal realism - and the balance of power between these
camps has changed frequently. Despite mounting financial
losses, coal miners and managers have blocked attempts to
rationalize production and employment practices. The
government has, however, managed to close several highly
uneconomic mines. Speeding up mine closures seems to be the
only way to arrest the accumulation of payment arrears -
nearly US$4billion (including wages) by mid-1998 -- and of
payments due for coal supplies - more than US$1.5billion by mid-1998.
Citation
“Lovei, Laszlo. 1998. Coal Industry Restructuring in Ukraine : The Politics of Coal Mining and Budget Crises. Viewpoint: Public Policy for the Private Sector; Note No. 170. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/5d873a3a-12be-55f5-a512-f097a8130dd2 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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