The renewal of reporting by political parties after almost a four-year break was a challenge for the parties and the National Agency. Despite the significant workload, we made every effort to ensure effective work in the area of political finance integrity. In particular, we timely reviewed more than 1700 reports of political parties' central branches and ensured the implementation of the results of these reviews. This is how Viktor Pavlushchyk, Head of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), characterized the results of the NACP's work in 2024 in the area of political finance integrity.
Since the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Improving Public Financing and Control over the Activities of Political Parties” No. 3337-IX of August 23, 2023 came into force at the end of 2023, which restored the reporting of political parties and the NACP's obligation to verify the reports.
"Among the priorities for 2025 is the modernization of the Unified State Register of Political Party Reporting POLITDATA. This is a tool that will undoubtedly become a key platform for ensuring transparency of all political finances. We are confident that its improvement will contribute to enhancing the transparency of political finance and increasing public confidence in political institutions, as well as to the development of a democratic political system that works in the interests of voters and significantly reduces the risk of corruption in the political sphere,” added Viktor Pavlushchyk.
More than 230 political parties (out of 379 registered) have reported on their activities since 2020. In 2024, the NACP verified 100% of the submitted reports, including 1,740 reports from the central branches of political parties.
Among the verified reports:
- 125 reports for 2020 (quarterly or annual);
- 349 reports for 2021 (quarterly or annual);
- 304 reports for 2022 (quarterly or annual);
- 315 reports for 2023 (quarterly or annual);
- 647 reports for the first, second and third quarters of 2024.
Based on the results of the audit, violations were found in 689 reports of political parties, i.e. almost in every second report, of which 212 reports revealed financial violations.
The most frequent typical violations during the audit of political party reports were
- contributions from fictitious donors who, according to the State Tax Service of Ukraine, have no income for the relevant periods;
- cooperation with entities that have signs of dubiousness, as well as establishing transactions “on paper”;
- failure to reflect information on the actual amount of contributions/expenses.
In 2024, the NACP drew up 609 reports on administrative offenses. As of January 21, 2024, 333 decisions were made based on the results of consideration of these protocols, including 259 protocols that resulted in a fine and/or confiscation of the contribution amount.
It should be noted that in 2021, based on the results of the processed reports, 403 conclusions were drawn up and approved, 293 violations of the law were identified, and 332 reports on administrative offenses were drawn up. Based on the results of the review of these reports, 331 decisions were made, including 128 decisions to impose a fine and/or confiscate the amount of the contribution.
In addition, in 2024, NACP sent 6 reports to law enforcement agencies on criminal offenses - violations of the procedure for financing a political party.
In 2024, the National Agency ensured the distribution and quarterly transfer to political parties of funds allocated from the state budget to finance their statutory activities totaling more than UAH 782 million 696 thousand. In particular, the political party “Servant of the People” was financed for over UAH 490 million 301 thousand; “European Solidarity” - for over UAH 141 million 559 thousand; “All-Ukrainian Union ‘Batkivshchyna’ - for over UAH 93 million; ‘Voice’ - for over UAH 57 million 830 thousand.
Funding of the statutory activities of parliamentary parties in 2024 was carried out taking into account the suspension and termination of funding of the Golos party (Order No. 166/24 “On Suspension of State Funding of the Statutory Activities of the Political Party ‘Golos’ and Order No. 167/24 ‘On Termination of State Funding of the Statutory Activities of the Political Party ’Golos” of25. 06.2024 ), as well as the ban on the activities of the Opposition Platform - For Life.
The Supreme Court's rulings of 23.09.2024 in case No. 855/2/24 and 11.10.2024 in case No. 855/3/24 dismissed the appeals of the Voice party to the National Agency to declare unlawful and cancel the NACP's orders of 25.06.2024 No. 166/24 and 25.06.2024 No. 167/24 .
"Among the priorities of the Department for 2025 is to continue modernizing the POLITDATA Register. This will automate the submission and control of financial reports of election funds in local elections; automate the filling of financial reports of election funds in all types of elections with banking information; automate the process of conducting inspections using a risk-based approach. It will also expand public access to information on political finance in the Register,” said Head of the Department of Political Finance Integrity Hanna Chornutska.
In addition, the implementation of the measures of the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023-2025 will continue, in particular, to improve the grounds for bringing to administrative and criminal liability for violation of rules, prohibitions and restrictions in the field of political party financing and reporting; to determine the priority areas and prohibitions on the use of public funding by political parties; to introduce automation of financial reporting and increase the efficiency of control (analysis) of financial reports of participants in referendums.
