Rada committee head calls for finalizing Ukrainian Economic Security Bureau reform

MOSCOW. Aug 29 (Interfax) - The problem of excessive inspections by various law enforcement agencies, about which the Ukrainian business community has complained to the president, can be solved by finalizing the reform of the Economic Security Bureau, including organizing an open competition for the post of the bureau's chief and empowering the winner to reset the bureau, Daniil Getmantsev, head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Financial, Tax, and Customs Policy Committee, said in an interview with Ukrainian media.

"In fact, what President Vladimir Zelensky has been speaking about is the unfinished reform of the Economic Security Bureau. It's precisely the bureau that was supposed to replace all other bodies authorized to conduct criminal investigations in the economic sector," Getmantsev said in commenting on Zelensky's proposal on "passing legislative amendments to authorize a single body to inspect" businesses.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted "quite good legislation on the Economic Security Bureau more than two years ago," Getmantsev said.

"However, the appointment of tax policeman [Vadim] Melnik to head it has in fact disrupted the reform. After all, the agency was formed entirely of former police officers, and all the worst things existing in the tax police migrated to the Economic Security Bureau," Getmantsev said.

After Melnik was discharged from the post, no qualitative and systemic changes have occurred, even despite some sporadic successes, he said.

"Messy reshuffles at the top level aren't helpful for the reform. I believe an open competition should be conducted for the chief's post, and the winner should be empowered to reset the bureau. And then what the president has said will be implemented," he said.