The reconstruction of the region, the construction of fortifications, and public procurement are the areas that may pose the greatest corruption risks in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. This was stated by the Deputy Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), Serhii Hupiak, during a working visit to the region.
The NACP representatives discussed corruption prevention issues inherent in the region at meetings with the leadership of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration (RMA), regional and city councils, law enforcement officers, civil society activists and journalists.
According to the Deputy Head of the NACP, in Zaporizhzhia region, as in a number of other regions of Ukraine, the issues of transparent and efficient use of funds for the reconstruction of facilities affected by Russian aggression remain particularly sensitive. The NACP is studying corruption risks in the sector, gaps in legislation, and developing recommendations for regulating the factors that should be addressed first. The Agency has established a special unit for anti-corruption policy in the field of recovery. The NACP's research shows that there are currently no clear criteria and methodologies for selecting certain facilities for reconstruction. This situation contains significant corruption risks. These include non-transparent documentation, poor technical supervision, and contractors involved in corruption schemes.
"Restoration and reconstruction of the region is an urgent issue due to the large amount of destruction and damage caused by the aggressor country on the territory of Ukraine. It is clear that the government is now trying to do everything in its power to restore the destroyed as soon as possible and to allocate funds for this. Martial law and limited time increase corruption risks, in particular, the participation of unscrupulous companies in reconstruction tenders. However, post-war reconstruction should be carried out in a clear and transparent manner, based on specific rules and procedures, and contractors unencumbered by criminal proceedings and seizures of accounts and property should participate in public procurement and work performance,' said Serhii Hupiak.
The Deputy Head of the NACP said that the Agency has developed a methodology for analysing counterparties and conducted a study that identifies the most common corruption risks in the management of public utilities. The NACP has a practice of providing recommendations to local authorities on these issues.
Other vulnerable areas in the region include the construction of defence fortifications and public procurement. ‘Fortifications are a rather specific topic, because information on who and where is carrying out the work, what is its cost, what equipment is involved, etc. should not be public. However, we have provided a number of recommendations to the regional authorities to reduce corruption risks in this area,' said Serhii Hupiak.
In addition, in the context of corruption risks, the issue of possible payments to officials who remained in the occupied territories of the region was raised.
The Deputy Head of the NACP also stressed the need for all authorities to implement the State Anti-Corruption Programme (‘SACP’). Powerful anti-corruption tools include a well-developed system of corruption reporting, work with the Whistleblower Reporting Portal, and active work of the institution of commissioners for the prevention of corruption in public bodies. Over the year and a half of the Whistleblower Reporting Portal's existence, almost 9,000 organisations have joined, including more than 460 organisations in Zaporizhzhia Oblast (those located in the government-controlled territory or relocated).
Due to Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Zaporizhzhia was recognised for ensuring proper public representation in the commission for compensation for damaged property and for creating a separate section on the website to inform IDPs. Zaporizhzhia has a number of important documents on the organisation of work on preventing corruption, relevant structural units and the possibility for citizens to report corruption anonymously; most city council meetings are broadcast. Transparency International Ukraine's recommendations for the city include informing the public about training events for officials on preventing and combating corruption; publicly reporting on budget execution; responding to petitions from citizens regardless of whether they have received the required number of votes; establishing an internal control and audit body; and approving a methodology for analysing prices for material resources in construction to increase transparency of budget allocation.
As a reminder, NACP has launched regional visits to strengthen cooperation with communities, local authorities, secondary and higher education institutions, journalists, NGOs, and local businesses. Representatives of the National Agency have already visited Lviv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, Uzhhorod, Kharkiv, Odesa, Rivne, Kropyvnytskyi and Ternopil. Such visits are aimed at establishing constructive cooperation between the NACP and local authorities for the effective implementation of the state anti-corruption policy, taking into account regional peculiarities.
Reference materials for regional authorities and local self-government bodies
- Study of corruption risks during public procurement under martial law;
- Guidelines on conducting counterparty analysis in public procurement by authorised persons;
- Guidelines for conducting counterparty analysis by self-government authorities in the field of procurement;
- Typical corruption risks in public procurement;
- Study ‘Top 10 corruption risks during the implementation of a pilot project to restore settlements affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation’.
Photo by the press service of Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration
