Dmytro Shymkiv: National Council for Reforms is a platform for consensus for all branches of power

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Kyiv, 26 August 2014 Dmytro Shymkiv, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine presented a system to manage reforms in Ukraine and shared its first results at a briefing in the UkraineCrisisMediaCenter. According to Mr. Shymkiv the national model for reforms management includes National Council for Reforms, Executive Committee for Reforms, Advisory Board and Project Office.

Dmytro Shymkiv said members of the National Council for Reforms are Ukraine’s President, Prime-Minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers, Head of the Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) and Heads of Parliamentary Committees, National Bank Head as well as 4 NGO representatives who will be chosen this week out of 109 candidates. As Mr. Shymkiv noted applications from 340 candidates were received however only 109 of them provided full package of the documents required.

“We have also created Executive Committee for Reforms that supports activities of the National Council for Reforms and is responsible for preparation of all materials on the reforms package that are to be submitted to the National Council for Reforms for consideration and approval,” he added. “It’s not a secret that certain reformatory initiatives are stumbled because there are different points of view as to this or that reform. However when we prepare a package of the necessary changes and all branches of power at the session of the National Council for Reforms decide to implement them, Executive Committee for Reforms will be able to ensure full control over implementation of such decisions,” explained Mr. Shymkiv.

“Apart from that part of the system designed to manage the reforms is the Advisory Board comprising highly-respected people from around the world who were making reforms and can help with advice,” he added.

Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration informed that currently the project office is being set up under modality of a non-governmental organization in which professional project managers will coordinate the teams that will be directly involved in drawing reforms packages. “They will be assisting co-chairs of the target groups to engage experts, donors, with general coordination issues etc. Talks with EBRD and International Renaissance Foundation are underway to have such an office financed,” explained Mr. Shymkiv. Dmytro Shymkiv also informed that long-term Strategy for sustainable development of the country until 2020 is being worked out and will be presented by the President of Ukraine in the nearest time. The framework for the strategy is the Association agreement with the EU.

Speaking on current reformatory activities Mr. Shymkiv mentioned that this week he intends to submit to the Parliament a bill on anti-corruption bureau set up and operation. Also in the nearest time governmental decision should be expected as to the conversion of radio frequencies in order to implement 3G technology in Ukraine, as according to Mr. Shymkiv the deadline set by the President to adopt the above bill has already passed. Moreover a discussion was held to introduce e-tenders procedure that is being developed by the Ministry for Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine.

Wrapping up Dmytro Shymkiv informed that he will be reporting at press-briefings on a weekly basis and will be informing the general public every Tuesday on reforms implementation in Ukraine.