I would like to welcome the attention of Ukraine’s new Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to the business community and her prioritization of improving the business climate. This is an important signal for businesses seeking recognition of their challenges and needs from the state, and support for entrepreneurship in these difficult times of war.
The introduction of a one-year moratorium on business inspections, as announced by the Government, may reduce administrative pressure on businesses and allow entrepreneurs to focus on growing their firms, creating jobs, and supporting Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
However, when implementing the moratorium, it should be immediately considered what happens when it ends, so that the one-year pause does not serve for accumulating and deferring problems, which could later backfire on businesses. This should be a time for establishing sound regulatory processes that both the state and business could benefit from.
Our experience at the Business Ombudsman Council includes certain concerns about the potential misuse of other tools to make pressure on businesses (as was the case, for example, with the SMKOR system, which was used inappropriately for “mini-inspections”) to bypass the moratorium.
Fiscal and law enforcement issues of business are closely interconnected. Therefore, I welcome Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko’s intention to address them comprehensively, together with the newly appointed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Coordinated and decisive action is needed from both the government and presidential branches.
Finally, the principle of fair and reasonable administration must prevail from the top down. Only such an approach will create equal conditions for honest businesses, enabling them to correct past mistakes and build trust-based relations with the state.
Business Ombudsman
Roman Waschuk
