You're reading: Transparency International Ukraine urges to stop pressuring Anti-Monopoly Committee

Transparency International Ukraine has noted the effective work of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) in the field of public procurement and does not see any legal grounds for its audit by the State Audit Service of Ukraine.

“Lately, we have been observing the government’s attempts to label the work of the AMCU in the area of public procurement as ineffective because they allegedly delay the procurement procedures and ‘block’ them. We would like to emphasize that the powers of the AMCU are regulated by the law,” the organization said in a statement released by its press service on Friday.

Transparency International Ukraine noted that the AMCU panel on review of complaints on violations of law in public procurement had been created for review of complaints submitted by procurement participants and functions pursuant to the law of Ukraine on public procurement.

“The panel is now one of the very few effective mechanisms that protect the interests of business. We believe that the assignment given to the State Audit Service and the actions of the prime minister of Ukraine towards the AMCU are uncalled for,” the report says.

Transparency International Ukraine stressed that the powers of the State Audit Service prescribed by the law give no reason to fulfill the assignment of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman regarding the analysis of the work of the Antimonopoly Committee “in terms of support to public procurement” by conducting an audit.

The organization notes that according to Article 3 of the law of Ukraine on fundamentals of governmental financial control in Ukraine, state-performed financial audit is a type of governmental financial control and consists in checking and analysis of the actual situation concerning legal and efficient use of public or municipal funds and property, other public assets, correct bookkeeping and truthfulness of financial reporting, functioning of the system of internal control.

“Taking into account the abovementioned, Transparency International Ukraine cannot see legal grounds for the State Audit Service to fulfill the assignment of the prime minister of Ukraine. We believe the situation to be a manifestation of pressure on the AMCU panel on review of complaints on violations of law in public procurement,” the report says.

Transparency International Ukraine notes “the generally effective and consistent work of the AMCU panel.”

As reported, on June 13, 2018, Groysman instructed the State Audit Service to conduct an audit of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU).

“An MP proposed during an hour of questions to the government that our audit service conduct an audit of the AMCU. I promised that this will be done at the next government meeting,” Groysman said.