Dmytro Sennychenko, head of the State Property Fund, wrote a letter of resignation in November last year. On January 27, 2022, the Parliament supported his decision. 318 votes in favor.
During his tenure, certain changes have taken place in the field: a single portal for privatization and lease has been introduced, the so-called Yatsenko’s platforms-intermediaries have been abolished, and an online system for automated real estate appraisal has been introduced, draft laws have been developed improving transparency and accountability of government job. Over the last 2 years, the Fund has managed to attract UAH 7.35 bln in privatization proceeds.
The Fund’s work brought fierce discussions under pressure, such as the sale of the Bilshovyk plant.
As TI Ukraine noted in its statement: “In our opinion, even under the current difficult conditions, which have been deliberately preserved for many years, the country could do more to create a truly competitive environment during the privatization of large objects. Today, despite high expectations, we must admit that there is no perfect result in a complex world.
An effective country needs capable and effective institutions, reliable and transparent management systems, and adequate efficient processes. It is important to live the experience, record good practices and evaluate mistakes, make changes and move forward.
There is a long way to go in this field. It is necessary to continue reforming public property management: to launch the Unified Register of the State Property Objects, to provide citizens with tools for control and monitoring, to establish liability for violations in the field. There are also high expectations from the Parliament, which will continue to change the legal framework to increase the efficiency of privatization.
This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index has shown Ukraine’s regression. TI Ukraine has developed recommendations to improve our position. One of them concerns the field of property management. It is about ensuring transparent accounting of public property and continuing the course of privatization.
Despite personnel changes, privatization is needed and must continue, as most state-owned enterprises have become a burden on society and a feeder for those close to the authorities or for oligarchs.
