Civil society organisations demand that MPs adopt draft law No. 8071 as soon as possible to restore the submission and verification of e-declarations
E-declaration is one of the most important achievements in the post-Revolution of Dignity reforms, which has contributed to a number of investigations and convictions of MPs, ministers and judges. However, in the first weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion, the mandatory submission of declarations was suspended.
Only a third of all officials submitted their declarations for 2021. It is likely that the number of declarations submitted will decrease even further next year, as if their submission becomes ‘voluntary’, it de facto means dismantling one of the key anti-corruption reforms. It is easy enough to predict the consequences of delaying the resumption of declaration, as something similar happened three years ago with the submission of financial statements of political parties. The only difference is that while the parties uncontrollably dispose of hundreds of millions of hryvnias from the state budget, officials and MPs influence the use of hundreds of billions of hryvnias of Ukrainian taxpayers and funds from Ukraine's partners.
Failure to submit declarations and the absence of their verification facilitate corruption and abuse, which are even more dangerous for the state and society in the current situation.
After 9 months of war, it has become clear that if the e-declaration process is not restored in the near future, it will be virtually impossible for investigative and anti-corruption bodies to identify and prosecute officials for illicit enrichment and lies in declarations.
As a result, in the near future, the institution of electronic declaration may lose its effectiveness, and the anti-corruption reform may be rolled back by 8 years.
The head of the Servant of the People faction, David Arakhamia, submitted draft law No. 8071 ‘ On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Implementation of Financial Control Measures to Prevent Corruption’. This initiative reintroduces the submission of electronic declarations by officials who were required to do so before the war.
The Anti-Corruption Committee approved this document on 18 October 2022, but it has not yet been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration. It is likely that some MPs are deliberately slowing down the reintroduction of e-declaration, which has proven to be effective in preventing corruption.
Civil society organisations call on MPs to include in the agenda and vote for the draft law No. 8071, which restores the submission of electronic declarations.
Signatories:
Public Council at the NACP
Anti-Corruption Headquarters
Institute of Legislative Ideas
All-Ukrainian Association ‘Automaidan’
StateWatch
Bihus.Info
Movement CHESNO
Centre for Economic Strategy
Civic platform ‘Act!’
Zaporizhzhia Investigations Centre
Anti-Corruption Research and Education Centre
Women's Anti-Corruption Movement
NGO ‘On the verge’
DEJURE Foundation
NGO ‘Platform Public Control’
NGO ‘Nivrok’
Centre for Public Monitoring and Research
NGO Anti-Corruption Action Centre
NGO ‘Transparency International Ukraine’
CSO ‘Centre for Investigative Journalism “Power of Truth”
Centre of Policy and Legal Reform