President Zelensky signs decree to tackle Customs-related corruption

On Tuesday, July 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed
a decree ordering the Cabinet of Ministers and National Security and Defense
Council (NSDC) to take measures that would curb corruption at Ukraine’s
borders. In particular, the Cabinet is directed to begin working on the
publication of customs information on a monthly basis, and synchronize in real
time customs information with the respective customs offices of other
countries.

NSDC has been directed to set up an interagency
commission on handling smuggling and customs corruption as well as setting up a
hotline for reporting customs corruption and evasion.

The decree goes into effect on the day after
publication.

James Hydzik: The
synchronization of customs data with other countries is long overdue, and given
that the Customs Service head, Maxim Nefyodov, was responsible for the
implementation of the award-winning ProZorro government purchasing and tenders
software, we are confident of the government’s technical capacity to create
this system and do it well.

The role of the NSDC is less straightforward, but
this move displays the Zelensky administration’s expectations for the organ.
While placing former Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danylyuk at its head raised
questions, the president’s move as well as Danylyuk’s statements in interviews
show that his ministry-based knowledge of corrupt money flows in sectors such
as defense will be tapped at NSDC. The opportunity for NSDC to become the
de-facto leader in the fight against corruption across the entire government
exists. How that opportunity is exploited remains to be seen.