Canada, EBRD, EU, IMF, and the USA to support the Ministry of Finance on the reform of the State Fiscal Service

September 5, Minister of Finance Oleksandr Danylyuk, State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Yevheniy Kapinus and acting Head of the State Fiscal Service (SFS) Myroslav Prodan met with international partners to form the Supervisory Board of the SFS Governance Reform Project.

Hugues Mingarelli, the Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine, Roman Washchuk, the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, Ernst Reichel, the Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine, Francis Malige, the Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus for the EBRD, Brian Seel, the U.S. Treasury Attache to Ukraine, Warren Wilson, the Economic Officer of the US Embassy to Ukraine , Goesta Ljungman, the IMF Resident Representative to Ukraine took part in the meeting.

The participants discussed the implementation of the SFS reform. The Task Force and the Work Groups consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the SFS and an international consulting company have already started implementing previously developed recommendations on this reform.

"The purpose of the project is to transform the State Fiscal Service into an efficient and modern agency with an advanced IT system, with automated and transparent processes and with convenient services. I am glad that everyone has a common vision of how we should proceed with the reform and what needs to be transformed, " - Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk said.

All international partners supported the idea of creating the Supervisory Board of the Project and agreed to assist Ukraine in reforming the SFS.

"We are ready to support the team of the Ministry of Finance and the State Fiscal Service with the comprehensive reform of the fiscal service. The SFS reform is one of the most important reforms which should be undertaken to accelerate the recovery of the Ukrainian economy and to attract investors. The fact that this Reform Project has a clear structure, the Supervisory Board and the mechanisms of continuous monitoring of the reform’s progress is key to the Project’s success, " - Hugues Mingarelli, the Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine said.

Cooperation between Ukraine and its international partners will ensure further transformation of the SFS and strengthen public attention to the changes within the agency.

"Germany strongly supports reforms in Ukraine. It is clear that the functioning of the State Fiscal Service is an especially important and sensitive issue that needs to be reformed - and many Ukrainian citizens will definitely confirm this. Therefore, we are proud to be able to contribute here as well to the success of your country," - Ernst Reichel, the Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine, said.

"I’m pleased to see that the Ministry of Finance takes the leadership in coordinating the reform of the fiscal authorities. We are ready to join the Supervisory Board in order to advise the team that is implementing the SFS reform. But it's also important to prioritize all the recommendations so that the initiatives indicated in the research by the Work Group, could be implemented gradually and in a most effective way, " - Roman Washchuk, the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, added.

To recall, in its research the Work Group has identified 4 primary functions of the tax authorities which can be modified in a short-term to provide better services and to improve the SFS work. These functions include service, audit, debt collection and HR .