ElitExpert continues a series of publications about the conflict in the Odesa regional branch of the Chamber of Commerce, where a change of leadership took place on September 12. The former president of ORTPP Serhiy Shuvalov, who headed it since 1998, was removed from his post at an extraordinary general meeting. His place was taken by Mykola Kryklyvy, a long-time vice-rector of ONYUA and a former deputy of the Odesa City Council.
The election caused a serious split among the members of the chamber: some supported Shuvalov, accusing the new leadership of usurping power, while others recognized the change as natural and necessary for the restoration of the organization.
According to supporters of Mykola Kryklyvy, the problems that led to the re-elections were brewing for a long time: the leadership of the chamber adhered to outdated methods that no longer corresponded to the realities of modern business. Supporters of reforms have been talking about the need for changes for several years, but they were not heard, and what's more, as our interlocutors report, those disloyal to the leadership were immediately kicked out.
"This year, about 30 enterprises were excluded from the Odesa Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry for attempts to reform it. The reason for the expulsion was their position — the fact that they dared to express an opinion different from the management's, said Oleg Platonov, the chairman of the supervisory board of PLASKE JSC.
"When we started this process (initiated re-elections - ed.), the former leadership of the chamber immediately excluded the most active signatories, including PLASKE." They excluded all disloyals, adds Platonov. — At the same time, the main problem was that only the General Assembly could extend the powers of the former TPP Council and management, and there was none. The leadership simply extended its powers to itself until the end of the war. That is why we decided to fight so that the chamber does not eventually turn into a private bench."
As a result, a part of the Odesa branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry came to the conclusion that a change of leadership is the only way to move forward and develop the Chamber for the benefit of all its members. They insist that changes have been needed for a long time, and the current conflict is only a logical continuation of disagreements and requests for reforms from business, which have been ignored.
Platonov notes that despite his tight schedule and busyness in business, he considered it important to join the struggle for the renewal of the chamber. "The former leader really sat in his position for 27 years, and it is impossible to talk about democratic management in such a situation. I believe that the chamber urgently needs a digital transformation so that it ceases to be as rigid as it is now, so that business clients receive decent services — and not as it is now, when everything is very long, very expensive, and very bureaucratized."
Stepan Boglia, head of the Glasspak company and one of the initiators of the re-elections, echoed his words:
"For 12 years, I was a member of the Odesa branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a member of the Council and the Presidium. But in the last two or three years, the situation began to deteriorate rapidly — and behind-the-scenes talks about selling the post of manager started in the chamber. At first they talked about 50 thousand dollars, then about a hundred thousand. - said Boglia. — And the fact that since 2014 there have been practically no general meetings and meetings of the Presidium can tell about the general situation. Everything was limited to events with a buffet and champagne, and I have never seen the Audit Commission in 12 years at all."
By the way, Stepan Bohlya is sure that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine did not support them, since it is more convenient for the central leadership to cooperate with those who will "continue to drag".
In turn, the new leader Mykola Kryklyvy emphasizes that the procedure for electing the new leadership was transparent and legal.
"The Odesa branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to the official certificate we received, consists of 179 legal entities, and all of them are the founders of the chamber. The powers of the former management ended in January, and this was confirmed by the decision of the Economic Court. Moreover, the Council was filled with relatives and friends of Sergei Shuvalov. The vice-president is his daughter, a member of the Council is his son-in-law, the others are friends and godfathers. At the same time, the Statute allows members of the ORTPP to initiate meetings themselves, if the management does not do so. That's exactly what happened."
Hanna Nesterenko, a member of the Odesa branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also believes that the chamber was in dire need of renewal.
"It was simply necessary to change everything: the Charter of ORTPP is outdated and does not work for business. After all, the most important thing here is that the chamber should work for business, and not business for the chamber. Odesa is the most important and promising region, but we are losing huge opportunities. Many projects and grants that could have benefited were closed or ignored by Shuvalov."
Serhiy Digol, director of the company "GOFER" and a member of the newly elected Presidium, said that the former leadership blocked the elections for 10 months.
"The old leadership without authority actually seized power and prevented the holding of general meetings. Only on September 12, at the third attempt, we managed to collect 95 of the 179 active members and hold elections. The new president, the Council and the audit commission were democratically elected. At the same time, I note that I presented the plan of changes to the Odessa Chamber back on April 2, and only in order to turn this plan into reality, I was elected to the governing bodies of the chamber, he said. — But now, on the instructions of the central leadership of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Odesa branch was disconnected from the "Electronic Chamber", which paralyzed its work and endangered business activities in the region. Now entrepreneurs can't get certificates about the origin of goods."
Having sorted out this complicated conflict, taking comments from all its parties, we clearly see what led the Odesa Chamber of Commerce to such sad consequences - the ossification of management. The inability, or perhaps the unwillingness of the former management, or change in their established work, inconsistency with the challenges of the times. For Ukrainian business, which is already in the most difficult conditions today, this is fatal!
Of course, the media cannot assume the role of judges to understand the legal subtleties of what is happening in the ORTPP. But the fact remains: at least 95 members of the Chamber have expressed their desire for change. And this requirement cannot be ignored, regardless of how the further process will develop.
