Economic growth

On 23 August independence, President Leonid Kuchma said there can be no return to the Soviet political and social system, Reuters and AP reported. Kuchma called on the government to implement economic measures, including tax and agricultural reforms and restructuring of the country_s foreign debt. He predicted that Ukraine_s GDP will grow by 2 percent in 2000 and by 4-6 percent in the following years. He blamed the country_ s economic decline on the Soviet past and the parliamentary obstruction of key legislation. "The parliament_s work must be formed on the basis of a responsible majority," Kuchma said without elaborating.