A new governance policy: decentralization, deregulation, de-bureaucratization and responsibility

The core problems of a public administration system - bureaucracy, irresponsibility and centralization, "Our answer is decentralization, deregulation, de-bureaucratization and responsibility of each government official," stressed Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk in the course of presentation of the Action Program of the Cabinet of Ministers at the Cabinet’s meeting on Tuesday, December 9.

The Head of Government accentuated the need to reduce the number of areas of convergence between business and Government.

"Primarily, Ukrainian state authorities should meet the standards that exist in the European Union. Together with the EU we have set up the Support Group for Ukraine, with hundreds of experts working in it, who are capable to provide us with an opportunity to completely reload the public governance system in Ukraine, starting with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the relevant ministries and ending with various central government agencies, regulatory bodies and local authorities", he stressed.

In the Action Program the Government has envisaged the completion of a process of reducing supervisory bodies, "28 out of 56 regulatory authorities shall remain in a first stage. The Government has approved a corresponding decision, now we should ensure implementation of the decision".

Moreover, the Government decided to reduce in a first stage the number of supervisory functions from 1032 to 680, “In the next stage we will make changes to license laws, a separate package of deregulation laws, called to maximally eliminate all exaggerated functions of Ukrainian officials and to bring them to compliance with the standards and criteria of the European Union".

The Action Program contains specific draft laws and deadlines to approve these laws, "We lack time for a long discussion there, so it must be the first half of 2015”.

"On deregulation issue we officially declare that Ukraine abolished the Soviet-time state standards", he said and informed that following the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU there will be introduced 1500 new standards, "We will have to spend a lot of time, as it is a complex technical work. And that is why we have set the deadline till 2016. These are optimistic deadlines which must be met".

In the framework of fiscal decentralization the Government, according to the PM, hands over a number of fiscal and taxation powers to local self-government bodies, "With the money we will give them responsibility, as rights always imply responsibility."

"We believe the Parliament will support fiscal decentralization, which is offered by the Government and has been discussed with the Association of Cities and local authorities. I emphasize that it is the first stage – there is no limit to perfection. But this first phase should be implemented," he added.

The Government’s program also offers opening of local "transparent offices". Arseniy Yatsenyuk reminded that a corresponding decision of the Cabinet of Ministers had already been adopted, "It is the responsibility of local authorities and local state administrations. We require from the local authorities in 2015 together with the Government, to finally complete a section of an administrative reform – upgrading of administrative services and opening of transparent offices".

Apart from that, Arseniy Yatsenyuk informed that the Government plans further reduction of the state apparatus, "This year we have cut the state apparatus by 28 thousand officials. We will follow the path of shortening the public sector, and we have set a target for 2015 - by another 10%. At this, an increase of salaries for the public sector as a whole. It concerns not just officials, but all the people who work in the public sector - teachers, doctors, all those who receive funds from the budget and serve for the country."

"Reducing the quantity and increasing efficiency and wages - this is the path we have chosen," said the Head of Government.

Concerning refresh of cadres, he noted "We have a new Government, there has never existed such a Government in the history of Ukraine: completely new, bright people with a different vision. But making changes at a Government’s level is not enough. Similar changes must be carried in each ministry, in each department, in each administration both on a regional and district levels, and in all authorities in general."

With this aim in the first quarter of 2015 the Government introduces a new draft law on civil service, “which envisages a transparent competitive selection of government officials and introduces a procedure of accountability of government officials for the failure to fulfil their legitimate functions."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk also informed that the Government's Action Program provides for the introduction of e-governance. According to him, Ukraine will receive the support of European partners here, “primarily of Estonia that did an exemplary pilot project of e-governance”, “We must abandon the tons of paper that circulates the ministries. We have set an ambitious goal - transition to e-government exceptionally, and it envisages an ID for everyone in Ukraine, a digital signature and an electronic document circulation".

The first stage of e-governance must be completed in 2016, according to the Prime Minister.