A MICROCOSM OF A ROCKY RECONSTRUCTION In Hostomel, roughly 20 miles outside of Kyiv, there is considerable consternation among the local population about withering investment and interest in the town's reconstruction. One of the focal points of Russia's initial invasion in February 2022, Hostomel suffered significant damage and many residents were displaced as a result. However, subsequent reconstruction efforts by foreign companies have been frustrated by the protectionist policies of the local Hostomel government, which has come under scrutiny for allegations of graft in recent months. A December 2022 report by the State Audit Service of Ukraine laid out charges against the Hostomel administration for the misappropriation of funds and mismanagement totaling half a million dollars. This state of affairs, in turn, has raised concerns concerning the effectiveness of ProZorro, the electronic procurement platform for public projects in Ukraine. The platform strives to facilitate transparent bidding on state projects and reduce the prevalence of favoritism or improprieties in the awarding of contracts. However, foreign investors have expressed qualms with how contracts appear to be consistently predetermined. Hostomel, for example, has had multiple tenders given out without a bidding process, sometimes to bidders who have no experience working on the types of projects they are awarded. To bypass the platform, investors have worked with the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation, which has an agreement with the Ukrainian government on procurement awarding. NGOs have also had some success in independently allocating funding for effective reconstruction. (Kyiv Independent, December 19, 2023)
STEADY PROGRESS IN UKRAINE'S CORRUPTION FIGHT Factors contributing to Ukraine's improved standing are numerous. They include the selection of new heads of of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Asset Recovery and Management Agency of Ukraine (ARMA), as well as the process – now underway – of choosing a new chief for the country's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP). Additionally, Kyiv has launched reforms to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, including the selection of five new judges. (Ukrainskaya Pravda, January 30, 2024)
NUCLEAR CHIEF UNDER SCRUTINY Kotin has been leading ENERGOATOM since 2020. The agency oversees Ukraine's four nuclear power plants, including the one in Zaporizhzhia, which remains under Russian control. (Kyiv Independent, January 5, 2024)
ROBBING UKRAINE'S WARFIGHTERS |