Ukrgasvydobuvannya may become a starting platform for reforming state-owned companies – Professional Government Initiative

Kyiv, April 7, 2016. Ukrgasvydobuvannya PJSC, a gas extraction company, is an example of a transparent and efficient state-owned company. It may become a starting platform for reforming state-owned companies, said Dmytro Vlasov, board member of the Professional Government initiative. According to Yuriy Kushnir, board member of the Professional Government Initiative is currently cooperating with Ukrgasvydobuvannya in several directions. First of all it includes assistance to finding professional and proactive company employees. It is planned to arrange for internship opportunities within Ukrgasvydobuvannya and make it a starting platform either for graduates who are coming back from their studies abroad or for those who want to start working in the state sector and want to get respective experience.

According to Roman Rubchenko, board member of the Professional Government Initiative, many graduates of western universities are not returning back to Ukraine because they see no potential here. “In this case the initiative becomes a “guarantor” to the fact that the organization that offers them employment shares democratic values and is ready to work based on western standards. These standards imply that people do not want to be part of illicit schemes but have clear-cut tasks and fulfill them,” he noted. Another key moment is market-level salaries, so that the state bodies are able to compete for professionals with business sector.

Participants of the Professional Government initiative reminded that nine months ago Ukrgasvydobuvannya got new employees – a professional team of graduates of western universities. They have introduced new technologies, optimized procurement by joining the ProZorro e-procurement system. They also set the goal to achieve 20 billion m3 per year by 2020. When this goal is achieved Ukraine will be able to purchase abroad only 10 percent of gas. Currently 15 billion m3 is extracted.

They emphasized that such activities by Ukrgasvydobuvannya creates serious resistance by the system and by people who got used to illegally earn the money by gas extraction. As a result negative fabricated articles started appearing in the media, staged manifestations started to be organized by the company premises.