KUCHMA CONSIDERS STRATEGY TO REINSTATE INCENTIVES FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS.

Valery Livitsky, a senior aide to Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, and Serhy Tyhypko, the new deputy prime minister responsible for economic reforms, have attacked the parliament’s decision last week to eliminate tax incentives and customs exemptions for foreign investors. Both officials indicated yesterday that President Leonid Kuchma is considering vetoing that legislation or reinstating preferential terms by decree. Several leading Western companies interested in investing in Ukraine, including BAT, Cargill, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Philip Morris, are circulating an appeal to Kuchma to veto the legislation and are asking other similarly interested companies to join in the appeal. (Interfax-Ukraine, Kievskie vedomosti, Eastern Economist Daily, AP, April 14-15) Kuchma has invited these and other companies to sit on the high-level Consultative Council he has just created to address the concerns of foreign investors following the parliament’s vote. (See Monitor, April 14-15)

Decisive Inter-Tajik Talks Breaks Down.