NSDC expects advancing anti-corruption reform in defense industry with arrival of Abromavicius to Ukroboronprom's supervisory board
Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Serhiy Kryvonos has expressed the hope that the appointment of former economic development and trade minister of Ukraine (2014-2016) Aivaras Abromavicius a member of the supervisory board of the Ukroboronprom state concern would help accelerate the pace of the anti-corruption reform in the defense sector and reduce corruption risks in the defense industry management system.
Assessing this staff decision of the head of state in the context of the decision of the March meeting of the National Security and Defense Council on defense reform, Kryvonos told Interfax-Ukraine that the NSDC's decision enacted by the presidential decree instructs the Cabinet of Ministers to organize an audit of Ukroboronprom with the involvement of foreign experts, and also take measures to eliminate corruption risks and increase the level of transparency and strengthen control over the work of the state-owned concern and defense industry.
"According to media reports, Abromavicius' position on this issue does not contradict this approach, at least regarding the audit of Ukroboronprom and reformatting the management system of defense enterprises," he said.
At the same time, he said that the unconditional achievements of Abromavicius as economic development and trade minister of Ukraine in 2014–2016 include the launch of the ProZorro e-procurement platform, which contributed to an increase in the level of openness and transparency of public procurement, and the launch of corporate governance reform in state-owned enterprises and reduction of the number of documents and licenses for business.
"I hope the work of Abromavicius as a member of the Ukroboronprom's supervisory board will help to reduce corruption risks in the system of managing defense enterprises and liquidate intermediary companies through which public resources were embezzled," Kryvonos said.