Editor’s note: This is issue 15 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Feb. 17–Feb. 23, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs.
The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission.
Benchmarks and soft commitments with the IMF
Parliament set to vote on new administrative court reform bill in final reading
Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is scheduled to vote on draft law #12368-1 this week in its second and final reading. The legislation proposes establishing a new administrative court to replace the Kyiv District Administrative Court (OASK).
However, the bill deviates from International Monetary Fund commitments, as it suggests creating two separate courts instead of a single high administrative court, as outlined in Ukraine’s IMF memorandum. Given these discrepancies, the bill’s chances of passage remain uncertain.
Other key economic issues
Ukrainian lawmakers introduce bill to overhaul Financial Monitoring Service
Ukrainian lawmakers have introduced Bill No. 13029, which aims to establish a transparent selection process for the head of the State Financial Monitoring Service (SFMS) and implement an independent audit of the agency’s operations.
The proposed legislation includes:
- Competitive selection for the SFMS head, similar to the appointment processes for National Anti-Corruption Bureau, National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the Bureau of Economic Security, and customs authorities. Under current law, the agency’s leadership can be appointed without a competition, raising concerns over its independence and contradicting international Financial Action Task Force standards;
- Term limits, capping the head’s tenure at two consecutive terms, but requiring reappointment through an open competition;
- Independent performance audits to assess the agency’s effectiveness.
The bill also responds to concerns over recent appointments at the SFMS. Just last week, a new deputy head, Bohdan Korolchuk, was appointed without a competition. Korolchuk previously served as first deputy to the new SFMS head at the Poltava Regional Administration and had prior experience in the National Police and the Interior Ministry.
Customs reform remains a priority for Ukrainian businesses, ToP's survey finds
Customs reform remains a key priority for Ukrainian businesses, with the selection of a new head of the State Customs Service through a transparent process expected by June 2025, in line with Ukraine’s IMF commitments.
These findings come from a survey conducted by the NGO Technology of Progress and research firm Gradus, which polled 75 owners, executives, and senior managers of medium and large businesses across Ukraine.
According to the results, 39% of respondents said the quality of customs services had remained unchanged in 2024, while 17% noted a deterioration in performance.
The full report is available via the link.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
