The leadership of the parliament, the government and the presidential office have received a letter from the Group of Seven ambassadors regarding the reform of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES).
According to Yevropeyska Pravda, the diplomats warned the Ukrainian authorities against adopting the BES reform without four key provisions, which would not meet the requirements of European integration and the International Monetary Fund programme.
The letter was addressed to speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, as well as several government officials and MPs from parliament's law enforcement and finance committees.
The provisions in question are
an open and transparent competition for the position of the new director of the Bureau;
an independent audit of the BES activities one and three years after the appointment of the new director;
the possibility of dismissal of the BES director based on the audit findings and the impossibility of dismissal by a government decision based on "unsatisfactory performance";
re-certification of all BES employees and appointment of new ones according to a transparent and legally regulated procedure.
"We emphasise that the adoption of any draft law without these elements will have a negative impact on the country's fiscal stability and the fulfilment of the IMF programme and European integration. In addition, we strongly recommend that the law on the BES not include any provisions that undermine the independence of other institutions," the G7 ambassadors said in a letter.
On 21 February, the relevant parliament committees (law enforcement and finance) approved the government's draft law on BES reform, document No. 10439.
The Anti-Corruption Action Centre said that the adoption of the draft law in this form would effectively mean that the BES remains under the influence of Oleh Tatarov, the deputy head of the presidential office.
"Before the committee meeting, business associations expressed their support for the draft law by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, but the MPs supported the government version, which has no approval from international partners. Justice Minister Denys Malyuska, who defended the government's draft law, called the urgent re-certification of BES employees inappropriate. He said it can be carried out only after the war is over," the AntAC noted.
Malyuska advocated that instead of re-certifying employees, the new head of the Bureau should reserve "good" employees from mobilisation and not reserve unscrupulous ones.