Business Ombudsman Council Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine 

Today, Marcin Święcicki, Business Ombudsman and Ruslan Riaboshapka, Prosecutor General signed a Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation between the Business Ombudsman Council and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. 
The Memorandum is aimed at preventing state bodies malpractice, working to resolve systemic business issues and formalize a permanent cooperation at expert groups level. 
Since launch of operations, the Council received 313 complaints from entrepreneurs against Prosecutor’s Office authorities’ actions, which is 5% of total appeals. However, in general, almost 800 complaints against law enforcers were lodged and virtually in every case Prosecutor’s Office authorities were involved. 
Prior to official document signing, the parties cooperated in working groups format – since autumn 2016, 19 such meetings have been held with the participation of top management of both parties. Pursuant to Memorandum, an expert group will be created. Its functions are to investigate businesses complaints against the Prosecutor’s Office in all regions of Ukraine, work on improving legislation, monitor and cease violations committed by civil servants. Iaroslav Gregirchak, Deputy Business Ombudsman will be in charge of this line of action on the part of the Council, and Vitaliy Kasko, First Deputy Prosecutor General – on the part of Prosecutor General’s Office.
‘The Memorandum is a solid foundation for cooperation. These are agreed rules of interaction and communication. I think signing of the Memorandum with the Council is an important signal for entrepreneurs that the Prosecutor General’s Office instructs its functional and regional divisions to act in accordance with the law. It also means entrepreneurs will have an additional tool to protect their legal rights. I am convinced that our constructive cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office authorities will improve conditions for doing business in Ukraine’, emphasized Marcin Święcicki, Business Ombudsman. 
‘Prosecutor’s Office effective work is key to ensuring investors credibility and creating a favorable investment climate that in turn triggers economic growth and well-being in our country. In order to be more focused on society needs, including investors, business representatives, we, together with the Business Ombudsman Council, set up a permanent working group to review complaints from business representatives’, pointed out Ruslan Riaboshapka, Prosecutor General. 
We would like to remind that earlier the Business Ombudsman Council had already signed 10 Memoranda of Partnership and Cooperation and with various state bodies, including law enforcement agencies: the National Police (2016) and the State Security Service of Ukraine (2017).