G7 ambassadors warn Kyiv against sabotaging Economic Security Bureau reform

The ambassadors of the Group of Seven countries warned in a letter to the Ukrainian government's leadership against implementing an Economic Security Bureau reform that does not meet the requirements of European integration or the International Monetary Fund's programme.

Source: G7 letter at the disposal of European Pravda

Details: G7 Ambassadors wrote to Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Head of the President's Office Andrii Yermak, and several other government officials and parliamentarians from the law enforcement and finance committees.

G7 ambassadors emphasise that the reform of the Economic Security Bureau should include four key provisions:

• An open and transparent competition for the position of new director of the Economic Security Bureau;
• An independent audit of the Economic Security Bureau's activities one and three years after the appointment of a new director;
• The director of the Economic Security Bureau may be dismissed based on the audit findings, but the government cannot dismiss him based on "unsatisfactory results" of the work;
• All Economic Security Bureau employees will be re-certified, and new ones will be appointed in accordance with a transparent and legally binding procedure.

Quote: "We emphasise that any bill passed without these elements will have a negative impact on the country's fiscal stability, IMF programme compliance, and European integration. Furthermore, we strongly urge that no provisions that undermine the independence of other institutions be included in the Economic Security Bureau law."

Details: The letter to key Ukrainian officials came on the same day that two specialised committees of the Verkhovna Rada – law enforcement and finance – approved the government's draft law to reform the Economic Security Bureau.

This project has previously been criticised by business associations and anti-corruption activists because it lacks proper mechanisms for recertification and dismissal of dishonest Bureau employees.

The Economic Security Bureau government reform is associated with Oleh Tatarov, the deputy head of the President's Office and the informal "overseer" of Ukraine's law enforcement vertical.

Background: The Tax Committee of the Verkhovna Rada supported the government's draft law No. 10439 on the reform of the Bureau of Economic Security despite the objections of business associations, NGOs and expert centres.

Last year, the ambassadors of the Group of Seven countries expressed concern about the government's plans to appoint members to the Accounting Chamber until its reform is complete.

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