The founders of S&P Investment Risk Management Agency, Mykola Siutkin and Nataliia Osadcha, participated as speakers at the most creative business event of the year, Business Wisdom Summit 2017.
In their speech, they addressed the question of whether Ukrainian business can transition from a “toxic” and corrupt environment to building a new ecosystem in Ukraine.
Deeply ingrained behavioral models prevent Ukrainian entrepreneurs from building an ideal business and interacting effectively with government structures, believes Mykola Syutkin.
“Unfortunately, a businessman in Ukraine never knows what will happen to him tomorrow. He constantly has to negotiate with someone, wait for something, and fear for his assets.”
At the same time, Nataliia Osadcha emphasized that here in Ukraine, there is a parallel world where foreign companies operate strictly within the legal framework, using entirely lawful methods to defend their rights.
Why does it work for them but not for businesses with a “Ukrainian face”? The reason lies solely in mental perception and the willingness of businesses to play by the rules themselves. These are the rules established at the legislative and legal levels—rules that work both ways: for businesses and against those who unlawfully abuse their power. These are the rules that, once followed, allow businesses to grow rather than merely survive.
According to the founders of S&P Investment Risk Management Agency, the transition from a toxic environment to a healthy ecosystem in Ukraine is possible. The number one rule for Ukrainian businesses in this regard is to fully utilize the mechanisms and tools provided by the current legislation.
Together with its clients, S&P Investment Risk Management Agency is shaping a new, non-toxic essence of business-government relations.
“By using the same tools within the existing legal framework, we are building a completely different, sustainable world. In this world, legislation works, business sets its own rules of the game, feels protected, and gains subjectivity in its interaction with the state. Hence, rule number two – make an internal decision about which world I choose to live in. This is purely a matter of our choice,” concluded Nikolay Syutkin in his speech.
