NACP and Chernivtsi authorities join forces to build integrity in the region

15.11.2023

Oleksandr Novikov, Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), met with Ruslan Zaparaniuk, Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, and Roman Klichuk, Head of the Chernivtsi City Council, during a working visit to Chernivtsi. They discussed issues of integrity policy formation at the national, city, and regional levels, NACP's cooperation with communities, the implementation of modern anti-corruption tools in the work of government agencies, the peculiarities of electronic declarations by officials during martial law, key aspects of conflict of interest and lifestyle monitoring, etc. "The NACP has initiated cooperation with the regions to change the focus of anti-corruption activities from punishment to the formation of virtuous behavior and the prevention of violations and corruption risks in cities and communities. This will increase the efficiency and transparency of work and, thus, the trust of citizens in local authorities. In addition, a number of important measures for local governments and regional administrations are envisaged in the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Program until 2025," said NACP Head Oleksandr Novikov. Mr. Novikov spoke about the importance of implementing anti-corruption tools, including developing an anti-corruption program for the government, ensuring the independence of the Anti-Corruption Commissioner, transparency of public procurement, and proper functioning of internal corruption reporting channels (Whistleblower Portal). He reminded us that all regional state administrations and ministries have to connect to the Portal by November 28, 2023. Ruslan Zaparaniuk, head of the Chernivtsi regional executive committee, spoke about the activities of the Transparency and Accountability working group, which was created in the region to control the use of budget funds. "We work with community heads and law enforcement officers to prevent cases of misuse of budget funds, violations of the law, and irrational distribution of public funding in communities. Integrity, transparency, and openness are necessary in all areas of government activity, especially when it comes to taxpayers' money," said Ruslan Zaparaniuk. During a meeting with Chernivtsi Mayor Roman Klichuk, Oleksandr Novikov discussed the importance of creating a structural unit for the prevention of corruption in the city council's office. In 2021, this issue did not find support among the deputies of the Chernivtsi City Council. Therefore, according to the mayor, it will be considered again. "Fighting corruption is one of the priorities of local authorities. We are interested in cooperating with the NACP and implementing modern anti-corruption tools in our daily activities, working to increase the transparency of the city government. As an example, we ensure the transparent sale of city land through the Prozorro system," said Roman Klichuk. As part of the working visit, NACP representatives held a number of educational events for public officials and educators. Iryna Chahovets, Head of the NACP Integrity Office, conducted two trainings for managers of the Chernivtsi City Council and Chernivtsi Regional State Administration on models of decision-making in ethical dilemmas. The NACP Integrity Office held a meeting with representatives of education departments and administrations in the region, and with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), organized a training for school principals in Chernivtsi. Yurii Sverba, Head of the NACP's Public and Private Integrity Policy Development Department, told public officials of the Chernivtsi City Council and Chernivtsi Regional State Administration about the peculiarities of the declaration campaign, the work of anti-corruption commissioners, and innovations in anti-corruption policy. In addition, NACP Head Oleksandr Novikov took part in a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine. This year, the NACP leadership and representatives made working trips to Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Their goal is to strengthen the NACP's cooperation with the regions, engage communities in building integrity, help minimize corruption risks, and strengthen cooperation with secondary and higher education institutions, journalists, and NGOs.