You're reading: Tablet: In attempt at fiscal transparency, Ukrainian MPs open their coffers

Tens of thousands of Ukraine’s elected officials had until the end of the last weekend to declare their 2015 income and assets to an open access public database. A part of the International Monetary Fund’s efforts to increase fiscal transparency in the severely corrupt and oligarchic dominated economy, the archly resented law was essentially imposed on the political system and on the Ukrainian parliament by its Western partners.

The creation of the e-declaration system had been plagued with technical issues in the course of its formation. The deadline for the declarations was Oct. 30, and the system almost crashed several times during the crunch of last-minute filings as Ukrainian politicians unhappily scrambled to fulfill their legal obligations. In some Ukrainian journalistic circles it became a jocular topic of debate to wonder whether or not the very wealthiest and most high profile MPs would file, and how much of their actual holdings would be exposed to the world’s scrutiny. Ukrainian politicians are also known for declaring themselves impoverished while living in mansions owned by their wives or brothers and driving luxury automobiles owned by their cousins.

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