Ukraine: Top security official says nuclear reactors repair situation is "catastrophic" and resulting from "manual management in the energy sector"

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Political Publication date: 2000-09-18

Text of report by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN

Kiev, 18th September: Speaking at a seminar of Ukrainian regional and central mass media, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Yevhen Marchuk, said that the situation connected with the repair of reactors at nuclear power stations is catastrophic. According to him, this is the result of the introduction of the principle of "manual management in the energy sector".

UNIAN reports that Marchuk said that there is a shortfall of 1.5bn hryvnyas at the present time and if this situation continues then the South-Ukrainian nuclear power station could close down in six-seven months time.

Marchuk was also critical of the fact that a presidential decree on diversification of energy sources was improperly implemented. According to him, in some cases the government has banned enterprises from using mutual settlement schemes while in other cases they are allowed. In Marchuk's view, the situation is improving in the energy sector and there will be no great difficulties during winter.

Publication date: 2000-09-18 ) 2000, YellowBrix, Inc.

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), September 19, 2000