Where to Get $150 billion. Bakhmatyuk's Recipes for the Ukrainian Economy

The businessman believes that, thanks to trends in global markets, we, as a major supplier of raw materials, will have a positive balance of trade this year. But our task is not just to spend this money, but to attract massive investments from the Middle East and Asia.

"The external environment is now very favourable for Ukraine. For the first time, we are lucky. Ukraine will have a balance of payments,

Of course, it will not be equal to China’s, but it will have at least $10-15 billion extra," the businessman believes. In his opinion, the trend will continue in the next few years: "The industry is going to grow with raw material prices increasing by 10-15% annually.

"There are markets where we are welcome or with which we are already working. These are countries with 2.2 billion people and 32% of the global economy: Asian countries united in the world's largest economic communities (ASEAN and RCEP). These countries are ready to buy ores, grain, and sunflower oil from Ukraine for $15-20 billion a year. And these supplies are vital for them," said Bakhmatyuk.

The businessman believes that under the counterpart of raw material supplies to these countries, Ukraine can and should talk about these countries' investments in the Ukrainian economy. Moreover, these countries are interested in investing in Ukraine to ensure the stability of supply. "They say: "We want to improve the infrastructure for this, we want to improve the rules of the game in your country, legislatively, legally. And we need $150 billion for this. Of this, $50 billion is in the form of Ukrainian government bonds, so that we can take a 2% loan from you,

"$25 billion will be used to pay off all our debts (on external borrowings — ed.), $5 billion will be spent on infrastructure, on roads that will be used to transport your grain, your ore, etc. and another $100 billion will be invested in ports, in development, in added value. Moreover, these investments can be even more beneficial for all parties if we are not talking about the supply of raw materials, but the supply of value-added products. "Let's say you buy poultry instead of grain. Or beef. Let's invest 30% in it, and you will be the owner. And this is real. I am sure of this because I have done it," says Bakhmatyuk.

Who is Oleg Bakhmatyuk: owner of one of the largest

agricultural holding companies, he is a prominent Ukrainian businessman who has raised billions of investments and built thousands of production facilities across the country, including the largest elevator complexes in Eurasia and the world's largest poultry farms. Its Ukrlandfarming group of companies is engaged in grain farming, livestock farming and the production of eggs and egg products in 600 locations across the country.

Ivan Boiko, UNIAN