On competition and state anti-monopoly policy in Ukraine

An author behind Ukraine’s anti-monopoly policies in the 1990s on how oligarchs have limited the Anti-Monopoly Committee’s impact, and changes that are taking place in this domain today

The acquisition of UkrTelecom from EPIC, an Austrian investment group, by Rinat Akhmetov raises fresh concerns about how much of the nation’s wealth is being concentrated in one man’s hands, writes Financial Times.

On June 3, SCM holding and EPIC group signed a deal to buy 100% of the Cyprus-based UA Telecominvest Limited that owns 100% of TOV ESU (Ukraine), the owner of 92.79% of PAT UkrTelecom, Ukraine’s monopoly landline telephone operator.

Ukrainian oligarchic conglomerates dictate their own rules of the game to the country, but they could collapse at any time, causing unpredictable consequences for Ukraine’s economy and the country as a whole

Monopolization, dictated by the imperial economic model, already hurt Ukraine back in the 19th century as clearly evidenced by sugar production, one of its most developed industries at that time

Despite feigned efforts to fight monopolies and foster a competitive environment, Ukraine’s government is working to strengthen the position of business groups closest to its own leaders.