Volyn berry-processing companies are no longer subject to inventorying

Subject of complaint: Volyn Oblast State Administration (Volyn OSA), Volyn Oblast Administration of State Fiscal Service (SFS)
Complaint in brief: The Complainants, two companies specializing in wholesale berry-processing, addressed the BOC regarding the Decree issued by the Volyn Governor that had led to systematic inventory inspections of the companies’ refrigeration equipment and premises since 2010.
Action taken: On June 15, 2016, the BOC sent a query to the Volyn OSA with a request to provide the documents related to the complaint. In July, the BOC also sent queries to the Lviv, Rivne and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast SFS offices in order to do a comparative analysis of control measures related to berry production in these oblasts. Our analysis showed that businesses in Volyn Oblast faced excessive pressure and suffered from inventory audits. No other oblast has such a strict approach to overseeing berry-processing enterprises.
On August 5, the BOC investigator met with the First Deputy Governor of Volyn and other local officials, during the course of which he recommended that the oblast stop its inventorying of company premises because such actions required a court order.
Result achieved: On August 25, the Volyn OSA informed the BOC that the Council’s recommendations were implemented and such inspections were stopped. In addition to this, the Volyn OSA adopted the necessary amendments to its local regulations to bring them in line with the law, as the BOC had advised. The case was successfully closed.