You're reading: Office for Business Protection to be created at Ministry of Internal Affairs

The Ministry of Internal Affairs will create an Office for Business Protection for more effective communication in the field of protection of entrepreneurs, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky has said.

“I have made a decision to create an Office for Business Protection in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It will be coordinated by advisor Anton Gerashchenko. First Deputy Yevhen Yenin will be responsible for protecting the business. From the National Police, the Office will include Head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko and Deputy Head of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police Serhiy Panteleev. I will control the work of this structure,” the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs quoted Monastyrsky as saying on Sept. 30.

At the same time, the minister said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs should become a center for support and protection of business, which is possible only if the Ministry of Internal Affairs, parliament and entrepreneurs cooperate closely.

“I see several areas for myself that we need to work on in the fight against the illegal market. This is removing the tobacco, alcohol and fuel markets from the shadows. According to experts, billions of hryvnias are lost by the budget, since most of these markets are in the shadows. This is counteraction to illegal seizures. Also, the fight against smuggling and corruption in the law enforcement sphere. The fourth point is the fight against counterfeit products, copyright infringement,” Monastyrsky said at a meeting with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada and business.

In turn, First Deputy Head of the National Police Mykhailo Kuznetsov said that within three months there will be a real result in the fight against counterfeit, illegal, shadow products in the field of alcohol, tobacco, fuel and food.

Also during the meeting, Monastyrsky and Chairman of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the protection of investors’ rights Halyna Yanchenko signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.

At the same time, Director General of Nemiroff Yuriy Sorochynsky said that for entrepreneurs, working in the home market is a priority, but business is faced with the problem of an excessive number of regulations governing the production of alcoholic beverages in the country.

“Since 1997, from the level of 5-7% of shadow alcohol, we have reached the level of 50-60%, due to a rather “powerful” system of state regulation,” Sorochynsky said.