Ukrainians who are obliged to disclose their wealth by April might have troubles accessing the new electronic asset declaration system starting Jan. 1.
Ukrainian Special System, a government-run agency that manages the publicly searchable database, warned that the website might slow down due to an increasing number of visitors’ requests, which could overload the system.
The capacity allows some 5,000 simultaneous sessions and could store up to 1 million e-declarations per year. Starting from 2017, the number of sessions could increase to 70,000, peaking at nearly 2.5 million before the deadline set by the government on April 1.
“Existing resources and equipment would not allow to ensure proper conditions for (submitting declarations) during the second wave,” reads the statement from Ukrainian Special System. “The time given by state to prepare for the second wave is almost up, but none of the problems is resolved.” They hope the government will address the problems shortly.
More than 100,000 top public officials, including civil servants, politicians and judges have submitted their online declarations in October, revealing their wealth.
They have to declare a wide range of assets from real estate, construction in progress, valuable movable and immovable property to securities, corporate rights, intangible assets, and legal entities whose ultimate beneficiary is the subject of the declaration or the members of their families.
This is a key element of the country’s anti-corruption agenda, a reform backed by Ukraine’s main creditor – the International Monetary Fund. It was also one of the European Union’s requirements for canceling visas for Ukrainians.
Just 413 members of the Ukrainian parliament collectively hold some Hr 12 billion ($480 million) in cash and bank deposits alone.
In a country where the average salary is Hr 4,362 ($171) monthly, the e-declaration is a key element of the country’s anti-corruption agenda, experts believe. Now at least 800,000 more public servants will be required to submit their decalations, according to Dmytro Kotlyar, an anti-corruption expert. Among those who has to file e-declarations are the heads of educational departments of regional, Kyiv city and district state administrations and heads of educational institutions of state and municipal forms of ownership, as well as their deputies performing supervisory functions.
Others include local councils’ lawmakers, state employees of the B category – deputy heads of the regional administrations, consultants, advisors and experts, Ukrainian military officials (except for conscripts), the members of State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection, police officers, official employees of the prosecutor’s office, Security Service of Ukraine, newly created State Investigative Bureau and National Anti-Corruption Bureau and foreign service.
A person who provides false information in a declaration could face either disciplinary actions or criminal charges, depending on the value of the assets concealed. If this amount exceeds Hr 304,500 ($11,940), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau will take over the investigation of the case.
