KIEV, January 23. /TASS/. Ukraine’s economy has been degrading as its dependence on commodity exports grows as a result of the "European-style reforms", leader of the Ukrianian Choice public movement Viktor Medvedchuk said on Monday in a LiveJournal post.
"Rather than developing innovations to achieve a technological breakthrough, we have been witnessing a destruction of the country’s high tech industries. In 2013, the share of various machines, equipment and transport vehicles in our exports was 16.3% but in 2014 it dropped to 13.2% and to 12.1% in 2015. During the first 11 months of 2016, this share has fell to 11.6%," he elaborated.
At the same time, Medvedchuk stressed that agricultural exports had been growing, reaching 41.6% during the January to November period of 2016. "However, there is nothing to celebrate: we export only agricultural commodities while the ready-to-use food products’ share is 6.6%. As far as agriculture is concerned, structural problems have been growing: it would be enough to say that livestock population has been decreasing which may create serious problems in the next few years," he added.
The politician also pointed to the planned education reforms bound to "contribute to the process of turning Ukraine into a banana republic." The country’s education ministry "has decided that children in 10th and 11th grades do not need that many physics, chemistry, mathematics and informatics classes so it is better to declare those subjects optional." "Really, why build nuclear power plants and produce machines? This reformed education will be enough to grow sunflowers and rapeseeds," Medvedchuk concluded.