Such a conviction was expressed by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ruslan Ryaboshapka at the conference of the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform, which took place in Kyiv on Wednesday, July 24. A new Anti-Corruption Strategy was presented during the conference, which will determine State Policy in this area. Ukraine has not had the relevant document since 2017.
"Firstly, it is necessary to foresee a focus in the strategy of the digitalization of work of the authorities.The initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "A State in a Smartphone" involves maximal transfer of online services, because we can overcome corruption by digital technologies. Secondly, it is important that this strategy would be as concise and clear as possible and focus on specific corruption-related topics: state-owned banks, energy, mining, defense," Ruslan Ryaboshapka stressed.
The conference was also attended by experts and newly elected deputies. In their opinion, anti-corruption reform will receive a new impetus in this autumn, and a new Parliament can base on the proposed project concept.
"Do we need a strategy? This question is quite rhetorical. But in fact, of course yes. It can not be "formal" and "just to check the box" – it should be a reflection of the real political vision of the politicians and government bodies that have a mandate to implement it," Head of Programmes at the European Anti-Corruption Initiative to Ukraine Eka Tkeshelashvili mentioned.
The importance of the preparation and implementation of the strategy was emphasized by an expert of combating corruption, judicial and law enforcement reforms, and the future deputy Anastasia Krasnosilska.
She assured that the development of the strategy is among the priorities of the a new Parliament, but this will not stop the adoption of ready-made initiatives. We are talking about the need to focus the activities of the Anti-Corruption Court on the "top-corruption" so that it is not be overloaded with cases; return of criminal liability for illegal enrichment; introduction of a civilian confiscation instrument for forfeiture of assets of officials and reboot of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention.
For his part, Head of the Department of Legislation Development and Program and Policy Development "USAID_ VzayemoDiya" Robert Sivers proposed to concentrate on three aspects: pithiness of the strategy (to show a common logic of the reform movement), the importance of the individual anti-corruption programs of state authorities, the importance of communication for the education of "zero" tolerance to corruption, which should become the mainstream in different spheres, and not an additional measure.