We must vote for optimism with our money
Nova Poshta (Photo:Нова пошта/Facebook)
What Ukrainians should understand and accept now.
The economy and business have adapted to the war. If we assume that Nova Poshta is an indicator in the system for assessing the state of the economy, then there is a positive trend: we have reached 85% of the shipment volume we had in 2021. That is, now Ukrainian consumers, who are our customers, are sending only 15% fewer packages than in the last peaceful year.Advertisement: 0:09
Our customers have again become demanding. I am very pleased with the fact that since mid-2022, Ukrainian consumers have returned to the whimsicality and high demands that are usually addressed to Ukrainian businesses. If Nova Poshta is late by several hours in Kherson, then we immediately get complaints from customers, and this definitely creates a reason for optimism. After all, it is thanks to this negative feedback, which we value very much in the company, that we are who we are. The Ukrainian consumer has always been the driver for our growth and the growth of other Ukrainian businesses with their high demands.
Any optimism must be voted for with money. We are doing the same, thus we continue to invest in the country, in the development of the company, and in our infrastructure. We have upgraded our network and delivered even faster. This creates optimism. This year, we will complete and open two large terminals in Kyiv and Odessa.
All of this is happening against a backdrop of absolutely astounding operational challenges. All of our large parcel sorting centers run 8-10 hours a day on generators to keep everything running smoothly, and we will continue to do so in the future. We have also equipped over 2,500 Nova Poshta branches, both in large localities and in de-occupied territories, with generators so that branches can operate while the power is out for a long time and enable people to recharge what they need to recharge. We have already become centers for everyday needs: hairdressers dry hair, manicurists create nail designs, and teachers give online lessons. All this happens in Nova Poshta offices.
We mustn’t put off development for later. Even in these wartime conditions, it is possible to work. Businesses, as part of their mission, must succeed in any difficult situations. These are the hallmarks of a genuine, successful business. Everything will be fine with Nova Poshta, and Ukraine can count on us. Therefore, I call on all Ukrainian businesses, which are the main factor of development in wartime, not to accept war as a reason to delay development or justify your mistakes. War is not the reason. We announced this in our company in March 2022, and thanks to this message, Nova Poshta continued to work and grow. Therefore, I urge every Ukrainian businessperson and every Ukrainian manager not to use the war as a reason to not to do it.
We must be prepared for a long and hard war. I do not want to be a pessimist, but it is worth looking at things realistically. We are dealing with a very strong enemy. He has hordes of embittered, hungry people who are shocked by the Ukrainians’ good living standards, the asphalt in our villages, etc. We must understand that people in a state of anger and hatred will continue to steal, kill, and rape.
I call on all Ukrainian businesses, which are the main factor of development in wartime, not to accept war as a reason to delay development or justify your mistakes
Moreover, our enemy is upping the ante. We constantly hear about new weapons, new purchases, new waves of mobilization. And I think that all this will happen. They want to fight, and we must accept this. Therefore, when I hear optimistic forecasts that we will meet our holidays on the beaches of Berdyansk or Yalta, I really want it to be so, but we expect that for the duration of this year we will still be in a state of war. This is because even greater resources are placed on the scales on the other side. If Russia increases its resources for a new attack, then we must direct our resources as well, to be even more powerful and significant to repulse the enemy. If Russia has an endless horde that can be recruited wave after wave of mobilization, then in Ukraine, in our society, where human life is our main human value, we do not have these sorts of resources and this freedom. Therefore, we need to think sensibly and fight on.
We must unleash the energy of entrepreneurs. The Ukrainian authorities need to take maximum action so that the energy that is inside the country is directed towards the struggle and defense. We offer a deep bow to our partners from the U.S. and European countries for their help and support of Ukraine, but I still ask the question: "Have we done everything to mobilize the huge energy that exists in the Ukrainian economy and Ukrainian business?" When I talk to dozens of entrepreneurs who have repurposed their businesses from selling electronics to now assembling UAVs, each of them tells me that they do not have any government orders. They could and would like to open small-scale production, for example, for the manufacture of 152 mm shells. But try to open a factory that produces shells. Who will land there first: a Russian rocket, or the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office?
We must liberalize the production of weapons as much as possible. I understand the fear of our partners. The Ukrainian nation is a nation that cares about its own well-being and freedom, but it is by no means an aggressive nation. I am sure that on the very first day after the victory, the Ukrainians will lay down their arms, except for our military, and will again begin to produce goods, grow wheat, and provide services.
We can change anything, but we cannot change our geographic location. It is like a chronic disease that we will have to live with. It doesn't even matter what substance will be on the other side of the border, whether it will be 18 contractors with nuclear weapons if Russia falls apart, or a single country. It doesn't change anything for us. After February 23, it became clear to everyone that we live in a border country. This is a country that is and will always be on the fault line between the civilized world and the wild steppe. And we have to live with it.
If we expect or know that every year we will receive half of our state budget from Western partner countries, if, God forbid, we get used to not having our own production of weapons, UAVs, and various means of protection for our soldiers, if we will not dress and equip our army ourselves, then I do not know how we will manage to live as a border country. Therefore, we need to accept these gloomy opinions - and our reforms, including economic ones, should be much more radical than they are now. We will not live in a normal world for a long time, even after our victory, in which I am absolutely confident.
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