Pavlo Petrenko: Anticorruption efforts are Government' priority

posted 31 March 2014 20:13

Fighting corruption is one of the main priorities of the current Government. In this regard the Ministry of Justice will address to the European institutions to receive technical assistance in the development of amendments to the anti-corruption legislation. This was started by the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Pavlo Petrenko during a meeting with a chair of the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Working Group Drago Kos.

Pavlo Petrenko recalled that the state budget did not received UAH 300 billion only for last year due to huge corruption component that was actively embodied in the life by the previous government.

"These are funds that had been included in the budget, but then the funds were actually looted. That was the reason for extremely speculative state of our country. So we had to make very strict measures in the social sphere," the Minister said.

The Minister of Justice recalled about a package of draft laws submitted by the Government to the Parliament regarding liberalization of the visa-free regime with the European Union.

"In particular, an anti-corruption bill, which includes virtually all proposals of the GRECO, is in this package," - Pavlo Petrenko said.

According to him, the Ministry of Justice will appeal to the European institutions for technical assistance in the development of amendments to the anti-corruption legislation.

"Support Society gives us hope that we can easily adopt in parliament bills that are not popular among officials. Now - the best time for this, "- said the Minister.

"Support of the society gives us hope that we can easily adopt in the parliament bills that are not popular among officials. Now we have the best time for this," the Minister said.

By turn, the chair of the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Working Group said that the fighting corruption has become a priority of Ukrainian authorities.

"I visit Ukraine regularly. And I can say that over work of the new government there have been done more than in past 15 years," he said.