Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said he is confident in the competence of the tax police.

"Perhaps there is a discussion about there the tax police exist or not. There is no such discussion for me: the tax police exist!" Groysman said at a conference call at Ukraine's State Fiscal Service on strengthening the fight against smuggling in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Groysman noted that the main task of the tax police is to fight against shadow schemes and to protect legal business.

"The main task of the tax police is to stop illegal corruption schemes. With the application of the entire legislative base, law enforcement agencies, I emphasize, with full coordination with the National Police of Ukraine," the head of government said.

As reported, when passing the bill on amending the Tax Code to improve the investment climate (Law No. 1797-VIII) at the end of 2016, the Rada made a technical error in changing the numbering of items.

"De jure, the legal status of the tax police is now outlawed. De facto, it has not been liquidated, employees have not been dismissed, production has not been transferred and it continues to operate," said Member of Parliament Tetiana Ostrikova (Samopomich Party faction).

In February 2017, an attempt was made to eliminate the existing uncertainty regarding the legitimacy of the work of the tax police prior to the creation of the Financial Investigation Service (FIS), or another, new similar body, but it failed.

Ex-Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danyliuk said that the resumption of the legal status of the tax police would lead to a delay with the creation of the FIS.

"I think that the tax police are a repressive body that presses on a business that does not reduce the number of financial crimes, this legacy must remain in the past," he said.

In early June this year, the Rada sacked Danyliuk from the post of finance minister on the proposal of the prime minister. He was replaced by First Deputy Finance Minister Oksana Markarova.

"I completely trust the [acting] Minister of Finance Oksana Markarova," Groysman during a conference call with Markarova present.