Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Approval of a package of anti-corruption laws and deregulation will give Ukraine a chance to embark on true corruption battle

On Tuesday, October 7, the Parliament of Ukraine backed in the first reading a package of five laws called to combat corruption, those designed by the Government and President of Ukraine. 

Addressing the Parliament’s members before voting for the bills, Arseniy Yatsenyuk noted that the anti-corruption package includes a framework document. According to him, it is the national anti-corruption strategy elaborated by the Government of Ukraine (the draft law "On principles of governmental anti-corruption policy in Ukraine (Anti-Corruption Strategy) for 2014 - 2017", №4284а), "It will be voted in the Parliament for the first time, as before it was approved solely as by-laws and was never followed".

"The national anti-corruption strategy of Ukraine designed by the Government was sent to the Parliament and will be signed by the President. This will become the pledge that all the three branches of the Ukrainian authorities bear full responsibility for true battle against corruption," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

In the framework of the national anti-corruption strategy a key element of curbing corruption is setting up the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (the bill "About the system of specially authorized subjects in the area of combating corruption, No. 5085) which is a separate body to deal with acts of corruption primarily among officials of I - III categories, "Prime Minister, Ministers, MPs, heads of central executive bodies, heads of regional administrations - everyone who exercises appropriate public authority shall be covered by this anti-corruption law”.

Another bill is titled "On curbing corruption" (No. 5113). Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated that this draft law "is actually an anti-corruption code", "it envisages introduction of a special procedure to declare incomes and expenditures of each high-rank official. It also stipulates for introduction of a procedure for electronic publication of the declarations of officials and special verification of conformity of the filled Declaration with the lifestyle of this or that Minister, MP or official”.

Besides, the Prime Minister explained, the top officials will be obliged to declare any kind of property, cash, jewellery and expenditures as well.

The bill envisages the monitoring of life and activities of senior officials: "If the Declaration contains certain information, which actually contradicts to his living standards, an ad hoc committee with the majority belonging to the public, will follow the life of such public servant, check the Declaration and to make public the facts of corruption".

Also, the National anti-corruption strategy and Code on curbing corruption also stipulates for higher responsibility for corruption crimes.

One more draft law of the Government of Ukraine called to eradicate corruption is On the determination of final profit recipients being legal entities and public figures (No. 5114). After this bill is approved, according to the Head of the Government, information concerning immovable property of all officials and members of their families will be made public, "Any Ukrainian citizens will be able to gain access to the property registry and see the owner of a particular house, apartment or other object”.   

This bill also provides for the disclosure of information about real proprietors - business entities registered in Ukraine, "After this law is approved we shall get true information about real owners of both property objects, land plots and all business entities. It would reveal the true picture of who possesses what objects in the country and where the civil servant, who has devoted all his life to public service, or his family members have taken millions in assets and property worth dozens millions".

Moreover, Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on the Verkhovna Rada to back the draft law on preventing and combating money laundering (No. 5067), which envisages holding a special procedure for financial monitoring, that is audit of accounts and transactions of public figures, including senior officials of 1-3 categories, in particular, President, Prime Minister, Ministers, MPs of Ukraine, "Any transactions, both cash and non-cash, made by high-ranking officials and members of their families will be subjected to the special procedure of financial monitoring". 

He has explained that the Government has been elaborating the anti-corruption package during five months, and dozens of the world's leading experts were involved in work on it, "This anti-corruption package was being prepared together with GRECO – the Group of States of the Council of Europe against Corruption. We had American and European experts, who together with the President and the Government have worked out a package of five anti-corruption laws".  

The Head of Government accentuated that the mere adoption of the laws "is not enough to eradicate corruption". That is why the Government, over the last few months, has followed the way of deregulation and reducing of functions of a number of public authorities, "Out of 56 regulatory authorities there remained only 27. Over 1100 different kinds of supervisory functions have been cut to 680. 143 licenses have been reduced to just 84".

“It is just the beginning. But endorsement of the anti-corruption package, setting up the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, increased responsibility of officials, making public the entire information concerning property, verification of financial accounts and monitoring of life of each high-rank official on the one hand, and on the other – deregulation, depriving the civil servants of extra powers, reduction of the number of supervisory authorities or functions will give Ukraine a chance to embark on true corruption battle,” Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

The PM highlighted adopting of the anti-corruption package appears one more key element of the plan of economic recovery of Ukraine, “Corrupt countries will never receive funds and corrupt countries will never attract investors”.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk urged the Parliament to vote for the anti-corruption bills, “It is the general test for all of us, not in words but by deeds, with regard to the fight against corruption”.  

It should be noted on September 29 Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olexandr Turchynov with a request to summon an emergency session of the Parliament to consider a package of anti-corruption bills which had been designed by the Government and the President of Ukraine.