Revising mobilisation exemptions will have only short-term effect on mobilisation – MP Fediienko
The reform of the system of mobilisation exemptions for employees currently being developed by the Cabinet of Ministers will not deliver the results the authorities expect. A possible reduction in exemption quotas and a review of the critical status of a number of businesses and organisations would cause only a few tens of thousands of men to lose their deferments, a number that territorial recruitment centres already mobilise in a single month.
As Censor.NET reports, MP Oleksandr Fediienko made the statement while commenting on possible changes to the mobilisation exemption system.
"The Cabinet can gain, at most, one month’s worth of mobilisation manpower from those who have mobilisation exemptions," the MP wrote on his Facebook page.
The MP also questions Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi’s statements about the scale of abuses involving mobilisation exemptions. In particular, the head of government cited a company where only 20 of 100 employees with mobilisation exemptions allegedly perform critical work. Fediienko believes such cases do not reflect the overall situation and that focusing on individual professions can create a misleading impression.
"Right now, they are trying to sell us a narrative about sommeliers, bartenders, cleaners (who have mobilisation exemptions – ed.) and so on. But this is a very small percentage. I would point out that once granted mobilisation exemptions, they will already be on the radar," Fediienko stressed.
At the same time, he believes that those who are absent without leave, are in hiding or are not registered for military service at all number in the millions. The state’s task, Fediienko says, is to establish their exact number. "Frankly, this is very easy to check. All it takes is to use the military personnel registers and the register of the State Tax Service of Ukraine; the rest is a technical matter. (…) None of the more than 60 members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada argues that we do not need to replenish our Defence Forces. We do. But we want to know whether the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine understands how many citizens liable for military service in Ukraine fall into this category of people who are not registered," the MP concluded.
Earlier, representatives of the business community, including the Ukrainian Business Council, criticised the Cabinet’s proposals to change the mobilisation exemption system. They said the new rules would delay the fulfilment of state defence orders, the repair and restoration of energy infrastructure, and the provision of essential services to the public. Prime Minister Koretskyi has pledged to finalise and present the changes by the end of this week.
