To the president of Ukraine
Zelensky V. O.
To the Prime Minister of Ukraine
D. A. SHA. SHMYGAL
To the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine -
To the Minister of economy of Ukraine
Sviridenko Yu. a.
To the Minister of Finance of Ukraine
S. M. Marc Marchenko
Regarding compliance with international
Obligations and appointment of the winner
Competition for the position of head of the Bureau
Economic security of Ukraine
Dear Vladimir Alexandrovich!
Dear Denis Anatolyevich!
>Dear Yulia Anatolyevna!
Dear Sergey Mikhailoviailovich!
The Ukrainian Business Council – an association of 124 business associations representing the interests of more than 27 thousand enterprises in various sectors of the economy, created to consolidate business and implement socially important reforms for the sustainable economic development of the country,-expresses its respect to you and addresses the situation around the competitive selection of the director of the Bureau of economic security of Ukraine (BEB).
For a long time, Ukrainian business has insisted on creating a single law enforcement agency to counter economic crimes, which would simultaneously protect virtuous businesses from excessive pressure from state law enforcement agencies. That is why the creation of the BEB in 2019 as an analytical and at the same time law enforcement agency was received with great support. However, the four years of operation of the BEB, unfortunately, have demonstrated a deep discrepancy between the original concept of creating the body and its actual activities. That is why the business community actively supported the reform of the BEB initiated by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the process of its reset, pinning high hopes for the formation of a new leadership of the body on the principles of transparency, integrity and professionalism. The key guarantee of transparency of the competition was the involvement of international experts in the Competition Commission with a decisive vote when making a decision on the winner. This gave the business hope for a real update and qualitative changes in the BEB's activities.
However the decision of the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine of July 7, 2025 to reject the candidate chosen by the Competition Commission for the position of director of BEB causes serious concern in the business environment due to the risk of deviating from the declared principles of transparency, competitiveness and independence of the competition. This position of the governmentsets a dangerous precedent and undermines confidence in the very idea of transparent and independent competitions for the positions of heads of key state institutions . Of particular concern is the fact that the grounds for rejecting the candidacy remain opaque, and the use of national security arguments without the publication of relevant materials looks like an instrument of administrative and political intervention and an attempt to maintain informal control over the activities of the BEB.
Please note that in accordance with paragraph 26 of Annex I “memorandum on economic and financial policy” with the International Monetary Fund, the Ukrainian authorities have pledged to appoint a new BEB director by the end of February 2025, which is a structural Beacon, a 21.03.2025 due to non-fulfillment, the deadline was moved to July 2025.font-weight: 400;">. Compliance with these obligations is critical both for obtaining financial support from international partners, which is urgently needed in a full-scale war, and for maintaining confidence in Ukraine as a state that consistently implements reforms. Fulfilling your obligations to your partners is an essential part of a successful strategy and an important factor for achieving long-term goals.
n>In this regard, the Ukrainian Business Council calls on the president of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine:
- Ensure maximum transparency of the final decision on the results of the competition for the head of the BEB, in particular-to publish the documents that became the basis for rejecting the winner's candidacy;
- Confirm commitment to Ukraine's international obligations and principles of openness, integrity and impartiality and Prevention of their violation during competitions;
- Comply with the law # 3840-IX and ensure the appointment of the head of the BEB, elected by the commission in a transparent manner, no later than the end of July 2025. of July 2025.
Sincerely, ely,
Business associations –
Members of the Ukrainian Business Council
