The Verkhovna Rada should adopt as soon as possible in the second reading and in general the law "On the principles of state anticorruption policy for 2020-2024", approved as a basis in November last year. This was emphasized by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his speech at Zero Corruption Conference 2021 in Kyiv.
"Unfortunately, in the thirtieth year of our country's independence, we still have to talk about the fight against corruption, judicial reform, quality renewal and integrity of officials, judges and prosecutors. Unfortunately, society has not yet finally formed a stable intolerance for corruption at all levels of government and life," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The President noted that for the last two years the authorities have been doing everything possible to change the situation. He reminded that the system of anticorruption bodies has already been established and ensured in Ukraine, including NACP, NABU, SAP, SBI, Supreme Anticorruption Court, National Agency of Ukraine for Detection, Search and Management of Assets Obtained from Corruption and Other Crimes.
"After the change of power in 2019, the anticorruption authorities have all the opportunities for systematic and effective work," the President stressed.
He also reminded that the people's deputies of the new convocation lifted their parliamentary immunity, restored criminal liability for illegal enrichment, passed legislation on remuneration for whistleblowers and enshrined the possibility of civil confiscation of illegal property and assets. A full-fledged reform of the Security Service has also begun.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that after the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to declare unconstitutional some of the provisions of anticorruption legislation, the activities of anticorruption bodies were immediately ensured and the system of electronic declaration was restored.
"In my opinion, the parliament should focus on the fact that for the last four years there has been no program document in Ukraine - the Anticorruption Strategy. I think that the deputies need to approve the draft "On the Principles of the State Anticorruption Policy for 2020-2024" submitted by the government as soon as possible and approve such a strategy," the President said.
According to him, the document should contain five main principles: optimization of the functions of state bodies and elimination of duplication; digital transformation of the implementation of the powers of public authorities and local governments and full disclosure of data; convenient and legal services; the inevitability of responsibility for corruption offenses and public intolerance for corruption; establishing a culture of integrity and respect for the rule of law.
The President also reminded that his legislative initiatives on the judiciary concern issues related to the fight against corruption, namely the issue of integrity of the High Qualification Commission of Judges and the High Council of Justice. After all, judicial reform, which will not cover the integrity of HCJ and HQCJ members, is doomed to failure.
"It should be acknowledged that the corruption-oligarchic system in Ukraine does not give up and resists every day. However, neither I nor my team will be frightened or stopped. I believe one of the proofs of this is the so-called law on oligarchs submitted to the Verkhovna Rada as urgent,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
According to him, for the first time in many years, it is a matter not only of combating and punishing corruption, but also of eradicating one of the basic causes of this phenomenon - the direct impact of big business on politicians and civil servants.
The President noted that in the election program he declared "not the fight against corruption, but the victory over it". The Head of State called on all concerned to unite and work together to achieve this goal.