MP Zhelezniak summarised performance of Svyrydenko’s government: he listed its achievements and major failures. VIDEO
Ahead of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko’s resignation, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak published his own assessment of the government’s performance, highlighting the main achievements and what he considered to be the Cabinet’s biggest failures.
According to Censor.NET, the ‘iron MP’ published his conclusions on his Facebook page.
Achievements highlighted by Zhelezniak
Among the positive results of the government’s work, Yaroslav Zhelezniak cited the opening of two negotiation clusters with the European Union, the unblocking of external funding, the lifting of the ban on arms exports, and the transition of the Ministry of Defence, together with the procurement agency, to purchasing drones through transparent tenders.
Decisions taken in the wake of scandals
Among the measures which, according to the MP, were taken under public pressure, Zhelezniak cited the appointment of new leadership at the State Customs Service and the Economic Security Bureau following high-profile scandals, as well as the renewal of the supervisory boards of Energoatom and the Gas Transmission System Operator following a situation he referred to as ‘Mindichgate’.
Unimplemented reforms and problems with the West
The MP described the systematic accumulation of unfulfilled reforms as the government’s biggest failure. According to him, as of June, Ukraine had failed to meet – or was at high risk of failing to meet – 29 indicators under the Ukraine Facility programme, forcing the government to negotiate with the European Union to extend the deadlines for fulfilling certain commitments.
The budget, business and the army
Zhelezniak also highlighted the breakdown in cooperation between the government and parliament, the tabling of amendments to the state budget without any real increase in military salaries, the continuation of state benefit schemes – which he described as populist – and the agreement with the IMF on a new programme which, he said, includes demands for tax increases.
Corruption and privatisation
Among other criticisms of the Cabinet’s work, the MP cited problems with the implementation of army reform, a record number of government members implicated in corruption investigations, the absence of the promised moratorium on business inspections, slow privatisation and, in his view, a failure in the fight against corruption. He also mentioned the situation surrounding the NABU and the SAPO, as well as the authorities’ response to "Mindichgate".
