Reform of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU): neither here nor there
On Oct. 16, after seven months of work, the Security Committee approved the draft law on the SBU reform for the repeated first reading. The Anti-Corruption Action Center has analyzed the text considered during the committee’s hearing (it has not been published yet) and contemplates that although that parliament has made a number of steps forward, it is still difficult to call these changes real reform.
Most of the problematic provisions from the spring’s versions of this draft law are still in place, namely risks of political influence over the agency, preserving the function of pre-trial investigation, lack of accountability and parliamentary oversight mechanisms, redundant powers enabling interference into the work of businesses and other state agencies, as well the absence of the approach to effective demilitarization of the security service. For more details please see our analysis.
President falsely claims that reforms agreed with IMF are fully implemented
On Oc. 22, during the interview with TV channels, President Volodymyr Zelensky falsely claimed that Ukraine fulfilled all requirements for the next tranche. In fact, so far in the field of good governance, Ukraine failed to timely adopt the law on the relaunch of High Council of Justice (due by the end of October). There is also serious concern over the issue of independence of the National Bank and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Concerns over planned automatic verification of declarations
Recently, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention adopted new rules of automated verification of declarations of public officials. Joint legal analysis conducted by Transparency International Ukraine and AntAC finds that the adopted rules allow to not consider declarations of 2019 and there are major loopholes in the embedded risk-detection mechanism.
Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov once again attempts to take control of medical procurements
Bihus.info journalists revealed documents confirming plans of Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov to once again take control of medical procurements. The ministry suggested taking them away from the independent state entity Medical Procurements of Ukraine, which has shown significant savings and transparency in conducting procurements. The health ministry has already significantly complicated the process of procurements, which results in the delay of supply of crucial personal protective equipment, medical equipment, and medicines.
Tetiana Shevchuk is a lawyer with the Anti-Corruption Action Center in Kyiv.
