These are small, but good steps. Ukraine’s leaders have at least some of the right ideas.
Deregulation & Privatization Top Priorities For Ukraine's Economy Minister @aivaras_aivaras
http://t.co/U9bPjSZqSh pic.twitter.com/eaEc9WQzdJ
— Hromadske (@Hromadske) March 2, 2015
Yatsenyuk reiterates commitment to reforms in year-end interview
The state aparatus was cut by 25,000 workers in 2014 and will be cut by 50,000 in 2015, Yatsenyuk said. Some 26 regulatory bodies were liquidated out of 52 that existed before, he said and the number of taxes cut from 22 to 11.
“These reforms are not effective for the government I lead for one reason – the (results) require time. Next government and next prime minister will win from these reforms,” he said. “After my tenure the chances to keep my political ranking (high) are very, very low. But this is my choice and I realize the consequences.”
Poroshenko: Planned decentralization in Ukraine has nothing to do with federalization
“I want to warn right away that there are a number of issues to which decentralization won’t apply in any way and where the center’s role would even be increased rather than reduced. This concerns defense. We won’t have any delegation of the right to defend the country to anyone, and we won’t have any local battalions, divisions, local militia, and other nonsense. This also concerns national security, foreign policy, and the fight against corruption,” he said.
“As concerns decentralization, there is an absolute consensus that we need to delegate significant powers to territorial communities. The decentralization has already been started through amendments to the Budget Code, as we transfer money, its sources, and responsibility to territorial communities,” he said.
Poroshenko stressed that decentralization will be conducted using relevant international experience. “International experts and advisers are working here. Poland’s model has been taken as a basis,” he added.
The president said he had submitted a bill amending the constitution to the Verkhovna Rada, which should be elaborated on and presented for passage in the second reading.
Poroshenko said he hoped that new people with new powers, “both budget, and those resulting from the relevant constitutional amendments,” will be elected in next local elections. He said the amendments will concern not only budget but also tax regulations.
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/249960.html
“Ukraine needs structure of a federal state”
The head of Ukraine’s Tax Inspection Service has been detained for taking a bribe (Ukr).
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2015/03/10/7061062/?attempt=1
