After signing a new social contract between business and the government, there have been positive developments, says First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko. During the discussion "Reviving the economy: what the state should do to make it grow", organised by LB.ua and EFI Group at New Country project, the government official listed the improvements that had been made over the previous two months.
The first was the adoption of a draft law that regulates the issue of profit by companies involved in defence procurement. The Parliament also passed a draft law on the Bureau of Economic Security in the first reading.
"We have adopted a draft law that regulates defence procurement, which means profits in the defence sector. The second point, the one that was among the requests from business - to regulate the issue of a single body that will deal with business inspections - has been passed in the first reading," she said.
The government also launched an alpha version of the Pulse portal, which will generate appeals from the business community regarding possible corruption and violations in the tax authorities.
Svyrydenko also noted the launch of the Made in Ukraine platform.
"I see it in two ways. The first is a set of tools for the development of Ukrainian entrepreneurship. The second aspect, which is very important, is the establishment and improvement of relations and communication with businesses operating in the Regions," Svyrydenko said.
The Vice Prime Minister believes that the government responded in time to the signals of pressure from business. According to her, after signing the agreement between business and the government, she sees fewer complaints about the work of law enforcement agencies. "There have been some positive changes over the past two months," she assured.
Pressure on business in Ukraine
- Following complaints from businesses about alleged misconduct by law enforcement officers, Volodymyr Zelenskyy established the Council for Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law as an advisory body to the President.
- Later, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, at a briefing in Kyiv, commenting on journalists' questions about pressure on Ukrainian businesses, said that the United States had heard about these problems and noted the steps taken by the Ukrainian authorities to address them.
- In the agreement between the government and business, which was signed by Svyrydenko on behalf of the state and representatives of business associations, the parties declared their intention to work together to create favourable conditions for doing business in Ukraine and also noted the need for entrepreneurs to pay taxes.
- International partners insist, in particular, on the reboot of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES). Of particular concern were the attempts by the Ukrainian authorities to push through the Rada a draft law that had recently been approved by two specialised parliamentary committees. As drafted, the document stipulated that the BES would remain under the influence of Oleh Tatarov, the deputy head of the Presidential Office. Eventually, the parliament approved a different version of the draft law in the first reading, with a stronger role for international partners. However, the business community still believes that the document does not meet all the requirements.