At the National Council of Reforms, which discusses the anti-corruption
reform, President Petro Poroshenko said that the legal framework for fighting
corruption had been created and currently the establishment of appropriate
infrastructure and formation of anti-corruption personnel was being held.
The President stressed that the anti-corruption reform had been the main
reform awaited by the public.
"Basically, we formed a legal framework for fighting corruption.
Now, we need to create appropriate infrastructure and, on the basis of rigid
transparent competitive selection, form the backbone of honest and
incorruptible law enforcers willing to go to the end. Their work shouldn’t be
obstructed by any political pressure or lack of political will," Petro
Poroshenko said.
We must ensure a quick and efficient start of the National
Anti-Corruption Bureau, and form the anti-corruption prosecutor's office as
soon as possible," the Head of State said. The President is confident that
this will have been done by the end of the year, and the anti-corruption
prosecutor will be appointed in November. "Detectives can prepare relevant
developments to have the first results of their work already this year,"
Petro Poroshenko noted. The President noted the importance of institutional
steps taken - creation of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and
Anti-Corruption Agency, formation of new prosecutorial staff.
The President commended the decision of the Parliament, which delegated
its representatives to the Commission, which must determine the leadership of
the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office.
The President noted the fact that the faction of the Bloc of Petro
Poroshenko had voted for representatives who often criticized him. "In
fact, it is easy to criticize, but it is the right step to unite and work
together on a common result," President Poroshenko emphasized.
Among successful anti-corruption steps, the President mentioned the work
of volunteer troops in the Ministry of Defense and transition to subthreshold
electronic procurement system.
"The law on increasing transparency in property relations
accelerates the creation of effective system aimed to prevent corruption. It
enhances financial control over the assets and income of officials. Access to
the registers of owners of movable and immovable property will be opened in
early October, and we will not allow the delay," he said.
However, he said, the war against corruption was started, but there are
still no tangible victories.
"It is not enough to reveal, detain, dismiss and initiate criminal
proceedings. We will no longer accept these reports. Ukrainian people require
strict and inevitable criminal penalties for corruption. Corrupt officials must
be in jail," the President said.
In this context, he noted the role of judges who are often corrupt
themselves. The Head of State called the MPs to submit the proposals of public
organizations that provide for a radical renewal of the judiciary for
consideration by the Venice Commission.
"The main thing is to ensure that corrupt officials are brought to
justice. We must do everything to prevent the loss of faith in the effective
fight against corruption and ensure an appropriate outcome," he said.
The President urged the Parliament to consider and approve the law that
will prohibit the release on bail of civil servants, especially senior
officials, suspected of corruption.
The President stressed that the anti-corruption reform should not be
limited only to the punishment of corrupt officials. It also provides for the
prevention of corruption, elimination of opportunities and reasons to take
bribes. "It's also an information and education. We must shift a paradigm
in citizens and businesses, make them believe that corruption is dangerous and
ethically unacceptable. There cannot be tolerance to corruption in
society," Petro Poroshenko emphasized.
The President noted that the results of the anti-corruption reform must
be noticed by Ukrainians, our foreign partners and investors who will actively
invest in the Ukrainian economy, which will contribute to further economic
growth.
The President also focused on the Law on budget financing of political
parties, stressing that if the Parliament adopts this law, he will sign it
without a delay. "It is cheaper for the country to maintain the parties at
the cost of the state budget than to bear huge losses from political corruption
caused by the material dependence of the party projects on oligarchic
structures," the Head of State noted.
The President drew the attention of the Minister of Economic Development
and Trade to the need to accelerate the process of deregulation. "The
smaller the role of the state in the economy and human life, the less
opportunities officials will have to demand bribes", he said.
"I insist on speedy, fair and transparent privatization of state
enterprises. I consider myself a follower of economic school, which believes
the state a priori cannot be an effective owner. I am convinced that the
Government has the same views on privatization and there is no excuse that the
Parliament does not make relevant decisions blocking these extremely important
processes," the President stressed.
Speaking about the issue of wage of civil servants, the President said:
"We are not such a rich country to have such cheap officials. Corruption
risks of such policy are too high. We either learn to speak honestly with
people, or move to this side of shadow economy as well".
As for the abolition of parliamentary immunity, the President noted that
his draft amendments to the Constitution had been endorsed by the
Constitutional Court and somehow disappeared in the archives of the Verkhovna
Rada. “I emphasize that every MP must be responsible for this. The same thing
with the judicial immunity. The Prosecutor General’s Office must do everything
for Ukraine to have no more people protected from prosecution for offenses
committed,” the President emphasized.
No comments:
Post a Comment