OREANDA-NEWS. April 07, 2016. Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on Parliament to adopt legislation on transparent privatization: "What require today the Ukrainian economy and Ukrainian citizens is investment, new jobs, real fight against corruption in the public sector and depriving the public sector of any political influence to avoid manipulation when voting and prevent trade in state-owned property objects." The Head of Government said at the Cabinet’s meeting.

"We leave strategic objects to be in public ownership, we are not talking about their privatisation. The rest [of companies –ed.] is offered to sell through a transparent tender," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

 CEOs of enterprises that remain government property, will be selected on transparent competitions. Six heads of such companies have already been appointed through such contest. According to the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Yulia Kovaliv, job interviews to fill the posts of another six leaders are underway with appointments to be made within two weeks.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that for one-and-half years the Parliament had been expected to support a decision on holding transparent privatization. He reminded that the framework regarding privatization had been suggested for consideration at the Parliamentary Hall for 12 times, "and, in fact, only under constraint one of the laws was voted for": "Why do they fail to adopt the legislation on privatisation? Because the company, which remains in state ownership, in the management of relevant central executive bodies and subjected to influence of political forces, appears to be not a source of revenue of the state budget, but that of political clans and political corruption".

The Head of Government stressed that once again there are made attempts to suspend the privatization of the Odessa Port Plant, "as they wish to further ‘sit pretty’ there or to privatize for nothing.

"The protest, which has now been lodged against the decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the contests on appointment of the new Directors, independent Supervisory Boards, transparent and public reporting, audit of all companies proves that political will of the Parliament to fight corruption in the public sector is weak. But the Government has that political will".

 Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that NJSC Naftogaz is now "the most transparent energy company in the country, without gas oligarchs": "Major state-owned companies, that incurred losses worth about 7.5 billion hryvnia in 2014, last year showed the profit worth UAH 2.5 billion – hence, have improved the financial performance by 10 billion hryvnia".

"A fierce competition for influence on public assets is underway. The Government's stance remains invariable – to replace management of state-owned companies, to hold transparent privatization", urged Arseniy Yatsenyuk.