Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed bill No. 6172 which exempts military servicemen from the obligation to file e-declarations, but requires representatives of non-governmental organizations to file this report.
The president signed bill No. 6172 on amending Article 3 of the law on prevention of corruption and returned it to the Verkhovna Rada on March 27, the parliament’s website reported on March 27.
As reported, bill No. 6172 on amending certain laws of Ukraine on the specifics of financial control of certain categories of officials was supported by 268 lawmakers on March 23. This document exempts servicemen of the rank and file, sergeant, sergeant corps, junior officers from the obligation to file e-declarations. At the same time, the bill obliges individuals who receive funds and/or property for anti-corruption activities, in particular, heads of relevant public organizations, members of public councils under state agencies, candidates for elected offices, to file data on property and incomes.
When reviewing the bill in second reading the parliament passed a lot of amendments, some of which were presented only orally. Therefore the final text of the document is currently unknown.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said the changes in legislation extending the list of those obliged to file electronic income declarations to include public activists is a step back in Ukrainian reforms.
“E-declarations for senior public servants is a strong step forward for reform in Ukraine. Members of civil society play vital role for transparency; targeting them is a step backwards,” the Embassy wrote on Twitter.
EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn for his part wrote on Twitter: “E-declarations should target #corruption in public administration – not hamper work of civil society. Changes to the law on e-declarations are a step back, not forward, and should be reconsidered.”
On March 27, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubit signed the amendments to the legislation on e-declaration and submitted the document to the president.
The same day, Poroshenko said he will hold consultations in the presidential administration concerning the amendments to the legislation on e-declaration adopted by the parliament.
After a meeting with executive director of Transparency International Ukraine Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, the Ukrainian president said he cannot veto this bill, because these changes allow those who serve in the anti-terrorist operation zone not to file electronic declaration. At the same time, Poroshenko suggested activists should set up a working group to develop amendments to the document, which the president will then submit to parliament as urgent.
“Since the requirement to submit electronic declarations by representatives of non-governmental organizations will come in force only in 2018, on the proposal of the president of Ukraine, the sides agreed to create a working group involving representatives of non-governmental organizations, people’s deputies and representatives of the presidential administration with a view to developing the amendments to this law,” the president’s press service reported.
