“Lockdown” competitions, barrier-free environment, and coronavirus vaccine: decisions by Government and President

Last week the Cabinet prepared an application for a coronavirus vaccine support and launched new “lockdown” competitions for high positions in the executive branch. In the meantime, Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree to create a barrier-free environment in Ukraine.

Decision-maker: the Cabinet.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, business, importers, exporters, and the Cabinet.

What does it change: the Government has announced “lockdown” competitions for the following positions:

• head of the State Fiscal Service
• head of the State Regulatory Service
• deputy head of the State Customs Service
• deputy head of the State Environmental Inspectorate

What is wrong:

• “lockdown” competitions reduced to mere job interviews do not facilitate the development of high-quality civil service. Such competitions do not guarantee impartial and unbiased selection, the winners are selected by subjective criteria
• the winners of “lockdown” competitions are often not the candidates with better scores but candidates loyal to a particular minister or the Government. Instead of professional civil servants at high governmental positions Ukraine can get politicians
• since February 2020, three heads of the State Fiscal Service had been changed. The State Regulatory Service has no permanent head since October 2019, although the previous Cabinet had announced contests three times (1, 2, 3).

For more details about the risks of “lockdown” competitions, please check a blog by the analyst of the Centre of United Actions Oleh Savychuk Power games, or What lies behind the dismissals of Verlanov and Nefyodov?

Decision-maker: the President.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, business, persons with limited mobility, local government bodies, and the Cabinet.

What does it change:

• Zelensky has ordered the Cabinet to develop and approve the National strategy for creating a barrier-free environment. While preparing the document, the Government has to engage in the process the representatives of state bodies, local governments, NGOs, scientists, and experts, in particular from the National Institute for Strategic Studies. The strategy is supposed to be approved before April 12, 2021
• the strategy should aim at facilitating practices of inclusion and non-discrimination, introducing the universal design to provide equal opportunities for all people living in Ukraine.

What is wrong:

• the Cabinet is the highest body of state executive power. The President, on the other hand, is neither a part of the executive branch nor the head of the government and thus has no authority to set goals for the Cabinet
• the President has no authority over national city planning or social policies and thus has no right to issue such decrees.

Decision-maker: the Cabinet.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, diplomats, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finances, and the Cabinet.

What does it change:

• the Cabinet will issue a request to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for a coronavirus vaccine support
• the Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov and the Minister of Finance Serhii Marchenko have been authorized to sign the request.

Why this is important: Gavi is a public-private partnership that aims at making vaccines more accessible worldwide. Among its members are the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, etc. Governments of Norway, Canada, Australia, China, Germany, and other countries have invested in Gavi hundreds of millions of dollars.

What is right: according to the Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov, with the help of Gavi Ukraine is going to receive 8 mln doses of coronavirus vaccine for free.