6.5 points out of 20.
This is Nizhyn’s score for investment sector transparency, calculated with the methodology of Transparency International Ukraine.

On November 12, Investment Sector Transparency Ranking of 100 Ukrainian cities was presented in Nizhyn. Representatives of local authorities, journalists and activists were invited to attend the event and find out the results of the research, where their city ranked 39th.

Describing the situation with investment sector transparency in Nizhyn, Transparent Cities program coordinator with Transparency International Ukraine Kateryna Tsybenko said, “Nizhyn got points for indicators pertaining to regulatory policy, publication of information on investment objects and utility networks connected to them, information on collaboration with international organizations. To get a higher score, Nizhyn needs to work on implementation of electronic auctions to sell rights for seasonal trade placement, connect to the Effective Regulation Platform, publish information on entrepreneurs in the executive committee, publish indicators of city strategy implementation.”

Head of Nizhyn City Council Anatolii Linnyk said, “Investment sector transparency ranking is a tool to create healthy competition among cities and build tight cooperation among the authorities, the business and the public. Nizhyn ranked 39th in the index. It shows us what else we need to implement or change to attract more investors to our city. Some of the indicators scored well, but some showed us real gaps in our work. So we have set specific objectives and I hope that Nizhyn will soon be at least in top five.”

BRDO  [ii], a leading independent think tank on regulatory policy in Ukraine, says: “Today, the public information service Start Business Challenge already contains 100 business cases with step-by-step instructions to start a business, and entrepreneurs can receive necessary verified information on business registration in the same place, quickly and free of charge. Taking into account that a number of business procedures differ depending on the area – for instance, connection to power networks, legal operations with land etc., the BRDO has also developed tools for localization of cases. For instance, local authorities can access their profiles and provide local citizens with as much information on starting a business as possible: how many procedures it takes, what documents should be received, where they should go, how much it costs and how much time it takes. Availability of this information contributes to business climate in the city.”

Highlighting the importance of open auctions, ProZorro.Sale says, “Thanks to ProZorro.Sale open auctions, the government and local communities have already sold over UAH 11 bn worth of assets. Non-banking assets have been sold for the total amount of over UAH 1 billion. It includes not just property but also lease rights, advertising placement rights and small-scale privatization.”

TI Ukraine continues working on transparency in Ukraine’s regions and motivating local authorities to be more transparent, since openness and transparency are basic prerequisites for reducing the level of corruption.

[i] full list of recommendations:  http://bit.ly/2SZW5nu
[ii] BRDO is a leading independent think tank on regulatory policy in Ukraine. The process is supported by the EU as part of the initiative EU4Business/FORBIZ.