Azarov criticized businessmen for imported shirts

Mykola Azarov is going to declare war to consumer goods. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov advocates the creation of serious barriers to the importation of substandard light industry goods. He stated this at a meeting with members of the Business Council. Azarov said that the domestic light industry develops very poorly. "We have reached the limit. What is this country of 45 million, which does not produce anything in terms of light industry? Each of us who are sitting here, is wearing imported suits, imported shirts, imported ties, imported shoes. What’s next?   It’s time to take radical measures that will enable us to rise" – the Prime Minister said. He stressed that in order to remedy the situation in the industry it is necessary not only to create favorable conditions for the development of our own production, but also to protect the market from low-quality cheap imports. "We need a package of measures. Not only tax, credit measures (preferences), but also control of the quality of imported goods, and serious border barriers for low-quality consumer goods. Very serious barriers" – Azarov said. According to the State Statistics Service, in 2012 the decline in light industry production in Ukraine was 5.3% compared with the 2011 year, in 2011 – there was an increase of 7.7% compared with 2010. As of January 1, 2011, light industry businesses, except those that produce under tolling agreements, shall not be subject to income tax for a period of 10 years.

Source: UNIAN