When asked what it takes to attract foreign inward
investment, Armand Hammer replied limos and golf courses.
Foreign investors are not in a particular hurry to do
business in Ukraine, perhaps because we do not have any
golf courses. But we do have a Golf Federation, even a
team of players (amateurs), even a mini-golf course, but
no real ones.
Golf is a favourite sport with many businessmen and politicians.
In this sense Ukraine is no exception. Thus, a noted Kyiv
businessman, Oleh Korban, honorary president of the Mariam
Corporation, recently elected deputy chairman of the Holosiyevo
district council, developed a fancy for golf, just like
his Western counterparts. So much so he joined the Ukrainian
team and became vice-president of the Federation. The
team makes no headlines although, it was placed 18th at
a recent open championship in Russia. Not bad for a country
without a golf course. Oleh Korban has always been on
friendly terms with sport. He is a Master of Sport (Basketball)
and used to play with the famous Kyiv team Budivelnyk.
But he had to quit because of a body injury, yet he remains
a devoted friend of the sport. His father Borys Korban
is a vice-president of the Ukrainian Basketball Federation
for a number of years. Oleg Korban every summer, for the
past nine years, organised amateur basketball tournaments
for the Mariam Prize, open for all wishing to play. Also,
Mr. Korban helps finance the Ukrainian national biathlon
team. He is sure that our players will not return empty-handed
from the Salt Lake City Olympic Games.
Oleh Korban is considered a lucky businessman. A construction
engineer by training, he set up a firm in 1991, at the
dawn of Ukrainian independence, and went into the oil
business. Before that, as a graduate of the Kyiv Road
Transport Institute, he had built roads in the Far North,
in Novy Urengoy, then in the Chornobyl zone after the
explosion. The firm's first filling station appeared in
1992. Now, ten years later, the firm runs 30 businesses
with 3,000 on the payroll. Regrettably, the oil business
is generally associated with the underworld in this country.
Mr. Korban resolutely disagrees with this; he believes
that the public is brainwashed to discredit those in the
oil business. On the contrary, he says, one finds respectable
people there who will not tolerate the slightest sign
of 'funny business'. Those of that ilk are out of business
before they know it!
Of course, a lot has changed in the oil business over
the past decade. At first, it was mostly done by gentleman's
agreement, but after repeatedly confronting fraudulent
partners this gentleman's practice was discarded.
"Business teaches one to be pragmatic and sober-minded.
We had to learn this the hard way," says Oleh Korban,
adding, "Yes, we made mistakes and failed, sometimes they
said I ought to try another line of business, but for
me it would be like changing my last name and disowning
myself."
He was nominated for the Verkhovna Rada twice, but it
didn't work. He decided to start at a lower level and
ran for his native district council, for he had been born
and grew up there. He is sure that, having secured his
family materially, he will have time to deal with problems
of the state and help to put Ukraine on its feet.
