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Political party "Servant of the People"
On Euro-Atlantic integration
1
To what extent, in your opinion, is corruption in the defense sector an obstacle to Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration? If you are elected President of Ukraine, what will be your steps to overcome it?

The issue of anti-corruption policy, particularly in the security and defense sector, has long been one of the main ones in Ukraine-NATO relations, and an effective system for preventing and combating corruption is one of the prerequisites for the Euro-Atlantic integration of our state.

Therefore, defeating corruption is a priority and key task of the new President of Ukraine.

The problem of corruption is systemic. Therefore, its solution requires strong political will and comprehensive, coordinated measures. I guarantee the presence of political will and will provide maximum assistance in the implementation of measures to eradicate corruption.

The program (action plan) to overcome corruption in the security and defense sector is already being prepared by our team.

2
A certain level of secrecy in matters of national security is important for every country, but excessive secrecy can contribute to the spread of corruption and abuse of power. Do you think it is necessary to provide more access to information in the field of defense, and if so, how do you propose to do so?

The unjustifiably high level of information classification is one of the reasons for corruption in the security and defense sector. In addition, Ukrainian legislation in the field of state secrets is actually formed on the basis of the Soviet one and does not meet the requirements of modernity, in particular, in terms of the informatization of society, the globalization of information systems and the conduct of information wars.

Therefore, new legislation on state secrets is needed.

The new bill on state secrets will be one of the first that the President of Ukraine will submit for consideration by the parliament. The draft, in particular, should provide for:

  • adaptation of national legislation in the field of information security to the norms and standards of the EU and NATO member states:
  • introduction of new principles for classifying information as official and state secrets, its storage and declassification, in particular, the introduction of the concept of the presumption of publicity of information;
  • improvement of the permitting procedure for conducting activities related to state secrets;
  • revision of procedures for verifying citizens in connection with their access to state secrets;
  • ensuring physical security of information by classifying areas of its use, determining levels of access to them and to the physical media on which the information is stored;
  • improving the mechanism for providing access to information with limited access to representatives of foreign states (for example, providing access to military advisors from NATO countries);
3
An effective procurement system that ensures efficient use of funds and ensures that servicemen have everything they need is in the interests of all Ukrainians. How do you propose to reduce corruption in the field of defense procurement?

Ukraine currently needs to review existing defense procurement policies and practices.

Therefore, a new Defense Procurement Strategy is needed, which should determine what to purchase (choice between models), where to purchase (own production or import), how to ensure the best quality and best cost throughout the life cycle, how to support models throughout the life cycle, how to ensure the development of its own industry, how to ensure strategic independence from manufacturers of weapons and military equipment and governments of foreign states.

It is also necessary to adopt a new law “On State Defense Order”, which should harmonize the provisions on planning and formation of a defense order with the Law of Ukraine “On National Security of Ukraine”. In addition, the new law on DOZ should provide for:

  • regulation of issues of state regulation of prices (pricing) for products under a state defense order;
  • introduction of a provision according to which the draft of the main indicators of a defense order consists of open and closed parts;
  • introduction of competitive procedures during the procurement of products, works and services under a defense order, information on the procurement of which constitutes a state secret;
  • cancellation of the closed register of manufacturers (suppliers) of products, works and services of a defense purpose, the supply (purchase) of which under a state defense order constitutes a state secret and creation on the basis of this register of an open register of manufacturers of defense products;
  • granting state customers the right to publish information on procurement plans by means of a preliminary information notice;
  • reduction of the level of secrecy in order to prevent unjustified restriction of access to information (granting information the status of “for official use”) on the activities of central executive bodies in the field of defense;
  • obligation of state customers to report on the results of procurement procedures, conclusion and execution of state contracts under a defense order (in the part that does not contain a state secret) with the publication of the report by the authorized body on its web portal.
4
Ukroboronprom is a large part of Ukraine's defense sector. What measures do you plan to take to ensure effective management of this concern?

The issue of Ukroboronprom management should be considered as one of the components of the systemic reform of the defense-industrial complex.

In view of this, the following steps are of primary importance:

  1. creation (assignment to one of the existing ministries, for example, the Ministry of Defense) of powers to form and implement state policy in the military-industrial sector;
  2. conducting, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On National Security”, a review of the defense-industrial complex (assessment of the state and readiness of defense-industrial complex enterprises to meet the needs of the security and defense sector, and in relation to meeting the needs of external markets; conducting an audit of state-owned enterprises);
  3. revision of the Strategy for the Development of the Defense-Industrial Complex of Ukraine in accordance with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On National Security of Ukraine” and based on the results of the Defense-Industrial Complex Review;
  4. urgent submission to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Military-Technical Cooperation” on defining the principles of state policy and legal foundations of military-technical cooperation, its types, methods of state regulation, areas of state control in the field of military-technical cooperation, as well as the powers of participants and subjects of military-technical cooperation;
  5. urgent submission to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the draft Law of Ukraine “On the peculiarities of the transformation of state unitary commercial enterprises of the defense-industrial complex into joint-stock companies and their privatization” (regarding the formation of prerequisites for maintaining and increasing the competitiveness of defense-industrial complex companies in domestic and foreign markets; features of corporatization and privatization of state-owned objects in the defense-industrial complex; implementation of a corporate model of management of state-owned objects in the defense-industrial complex based on OECD standards; attraction of strategic investors);
  6. conducting, during 2019, independent reviews and audits of the activities of the State Concern “Ukroboronprom”, its participating enterprises and joint-stock companies, the management of the state’s corporate rights in respect of which has been transferred to the Concern.
5
Legal or illegal trade with uncontrolled territories (Donbass and Crimea) creates corruption risks, in particular, in the army. How do you plan to solve this problem?

One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the lack of political will to solve the problem. The new President of Ukraine has such political will. First of all, the system of bodies and institutions responsible for crime control, including on the contact line, should be headed by honest professionals who will be the carriers of change in these bodies and institutions. The Security Service of Ukraine and the prosecutor’s office, the Military Law Enforcement Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will counteract crime and corruption, and not cover it up. The second step should be an analysis of the causes and conditions that lead to the commission of relevant offenses, and an action plan to eliminate them in order to eliminate the systemic causes of the phenomenon.

6
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ministry of Defense inherited more than 600,000 hectares of land. Due to corruption and inefficient management, the agency has already lost effective control over approximately 100,000 hectares. Do you consider this a problem, and what are the first important steps you are planning in this direction?

First of all, an audit and inventory of defense lands, registration of ownership rights to all land plots and real estate objects are necessary. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the creation of an electronic register of defense lands and real estate under the management of the Ministry of Defense.

7
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ministry of Defense inherited more than 600,000 hectares of land. Due to corruption and inefficient management, the agency has already lost effective control over approximately 100,000 hectares. Do you consider this a problem, and what are the first important steps you are planning in this direction?

The existing system of providing housing for military personnel is inefficient and prone to corruption. Therefore, first of all, an audit of this system should be conducted, abuses in the conclusion and execution of investment construction contracts should be eliminated, and land plots where investors do not fulfill their obligations should be returned to the Ministry of Defense. The system of providing housing for military personnel itself needs to be reviewed and new approaches should be identified. Such approaches may include, in particular, eliminating the possibility of privatization of housing (which led to the fact that high-ranking military personnel received several apartments from the state, which they then sold) and creating instead a system of social protection for military personnel and their family members by creating a new mechanism of personalized cash severance pay.