Ukraine’s economy should reach the pre-crisis level in 2012

In 2012 Ukraine’s objective is to achieve the pre-crisis level of the economy’s development, the country’s Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said on Wednesday. “This country continues to be vulnerable due to the  economic crisis, but we should achieve its growth and move forward,” he said. “2012 is a very important year to achieve economic growth. We should get rid of the old administrative system and develop various sectors of the economy.” He ordered members of the government to “get maximally mobilise, have self-control, work jointly with the parliament.” “The most important direction of our work with the deputies is to raise social protection, improve medical care, provide favourable business climate,” he said. The government intends to get rid of any interference in fiscal and law enforcement authorities with business. Azarov stressed the necessity of Ukraine’s energy independence, improvement of state support for the coal sector and modernisation of the oil and gas sector. One of the priorities for the current year is modernisation of the agricultural sector, he added. “We need to promptly solve the problem of technical re-equipment of plant growing, livestock and processing,” Azarov said.