Ukraine to pass IMF-backed anti-corruption law

Ukraine’s Justice Minister, Pavlo Petrenko has responded to growing international criticism of the government’s efforts to tackle Ukraine’s entrenched corruption by stating that an IMF-backed anti-corruption law would be in place by February 2018.

Ukraine has faced a chorus of concern from the US, European Union, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (‘IMF’) over the stalling of its anti-corruption programme, with the IMF expressing fears that the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (‘NABU’) risks compromise after recent attacks from other enforcement agencies, and that the government is stonewalling over the setting-up of an anti-corruption court.

‘We are deeply concerned by recent events in Ukraine that could roll back progress that has been made in setting up independent institutions to tackle high-level corruption,’ said Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF last week. ‘Fighting corruption is a key demand of the Ukrainian society, is crucial to achieving stronger and equitable growth, and is part of the government’s commitment under the program with the IMF.’

Petrenko has stated in an interview with Reuters that Ukraine would quickly pass the legislation required to set up an anti-corruption court and would implement it within six to eight months. The legislation was due to be passed by June 2017, but the current bill has stalled in Parliament. Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko has promised to introduce a new bill within days.

The IMF is withholding disbursements from a $17.5bn staggered aid programme until Ukraine’s government meets its agreed commitments.