Today the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) has restored access to the Unified State Register of Political Parties' Reports on Property, Income, Expenses and Financial Liabilities (POLITDATA Register), taking into account the requirements for personal data protection, reports the NACP press service.
"It means that political parties will have the opportunity to submit reports on property, income, expenses and financial liabilities (hereinafter referred to as reports). So far, this is a right, not an obligation, of political parties," the statement said.
It is noted that the public will be able to see what political parties have spent public funding on for more than three years, because at first they did not report due to COVID-19, and since 2022 - due to martial law.
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the NACP had to restrict access to a number of registers, including the POLITDATA Register.
"The NACP constantly emphasises the importance of transparent reporting by political parties. During the pandemic and after the full-scale invasion, parliamentary parties continue to receive state funding. We are talking about almost 3bn hryvnias. Therefore, the adoption of Law No. 3337 on the resumption of mandatory reporting and its verification by the National Agency will be an important step for the accountability of political parties to their voters. Political parties have also been given enough time to collect the necessary information and prepare reports in a quality manner. It is important that they can now report to taxpayers voluntarily, and from 26 December it will become their obligation," said NACP Chairman Oleksandr Novikov.
In addition, thanks to the openness of the register, it will be known not only what political parties spent money on, but also who actively financed them.
On 26 December, 2023, the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Minimising Potential Oligarchic Influence on Political Parties, Improving Mechanisms of State Financing and State Control over the Activities of Political Parties" (No. 3337), which was signed by the President of Ukraine on 26 September 2023, will come into force.
This decision will restore the obligation of all political parties to report on their finances and property, as well as the functions of the NACP to verify these reports. The parliamentary parties will be obliged to submit previously unreported reports (for 2020-2023) within 90 days after the Law enters into force, while other political parties must report within 120 days after the Law enters into force. The NACP will have 90 days to verify the submitted reports, and therefore will not verify them until 26 December 2023.
In view of the upcoming legislative changes, in particular regarding the specifics of reporting during martial law, the NACP recommends submitting reports starting from 26 December 2023.