Ukrainian President promises to establish anti-corruption court in 2018
In an article for publications Novoye Vremya and The Economist Mir, published on Saturday, President Petro Poroshenko discussed the need for his more active participation in the protection of the country's anti-corruption infrastructure and the inadmissibility of any pressure on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
"The events at the end of 2017 showed that the anti-corruption infrastructure requires more active protection by the President, I especially emphasize the need to guarantee the independence of the NABU,” read the articles published on Saturday.
“I consider any form of pressure on this body to be unacceptable. For both the political establishment and the groups that support this body, which aggressively imposes on it the lists of clients with politically colored sentences," the President stated.
Poroshenko noted that in 2018 the Anti-Corruption Court should be launched.
"Money in the 2018 budget for this institution has already been laid, but must go through all the stages for the law to be adopted and the formation and composition of the judiciary," he noted.
The President also noted that the current pace of economic development is insufficient for stability and improving the standard of living.
At the same time, Poroshenko expressed the hope that his proposal - instead of a corporate profit tax - to impose a tax on withdrawn capital - would be introduced as of January 1, 2019
"The good news is that the long-term downward trend (economy) caused by the war, the loss of a significant part of the industrial potential, economic aggression by the Russian Federation is broken. But these rates are categorically unsatisfactory for the stable development of the economy and the restoration of the standard of living. That’s why, we are seeking non-trivial and liberal solutions for improving the investment climate, accelerating economic growth, and creating new jobs," he stated.
At the same time, Poroshenko expressed the hope that his proposal - instead of a corporate profit tax to impose a tax on the withdrawn capital - would be introduced from January 1, 2019.
"In the meantime, we will implement installments to pay VAT on imported equipment to expand and modernize production," the president added.
The main reference points Poroshenko designated for Ukraine in 2018 are "peace and development."
"Ukraine needs not the internal struggle of all against all, but the consolidation of the efforts of the authorities, civil society, and international partners," Poroshenko stated and added that "the opponents of the authorities have already entered the active phase of the election campaign, and some do not even hesitate to take money from Moscow.”