"We do not understand why the Ministry of Economic Development has paused the entire booking process. This includes enterprises that were previously recognized by the Ministry itself as critically important for the economy and were only required to periodically confirm this status. The situation is catastrophic, particularly in the metallurgy and mining sectors. We were already lacking 50% of the required quota for reserving military-eligible workers," he stated.
Belenkiy explained that in the metallurgy and mining-metallurgical complex, the majority of employees are men of conscription age, and the loss of these specialists could have fatal consequences.
"Recently, we have been operating on the brink of shutdown. Training a specialist for us takes not just a month; reaching the necessary level of a qualified specialist requires years of experience! And right now, the situation is such that all 'white-collar' workers (and we have no others) are under the threat of mobilization at any moment. In these circumstances, a significant number of military-eligible individuals are trying to avoid official employment. Moreover, those who have worked with us for many years are starting to resign. As a result, we simply cannot ensure the full operation of our production facilities, including fulfilling defense orders," the expert emphasized.
At the same time, he acknowledged that there are objective reasons for verifying the justification of the critical status of certain enterprises. However, in his opinion, this audit should not affect the booking process.
"A pause should not be applied to enterprises that have been operating transparently for many years, reporting on their activities, maintaining jobs, and paying taxes in full. Almost all of our enterprises are key to the city! When there are warnings, selective inspections can be organized. We can study those enterprises that are applying for critical status for the first time. But pausing all of them is, in our opinion, shortsighted and dangerous for the economy. Supporting defense capabilities critically requires metal products and tax payments. Victory is forged not only at the front but also in the rear," Belenkiy stated.