Avakov says police reform lacks financing

Thursday, July 7, 2016 - 09:00 (EEST) Section: Latest news

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov says police reform in Ukraine lacks financing, and UAH 2 billion, or $80 million, is needed to continue the reform until the end of the year, according to the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper.
”I need UAH 2 billion for the police alone to complete the reform program by the end of the year. UAH 1.5 billion is salaries and another UAH 500 million is for fuel. These are components one cannot get on the international [loan] market, and direct state financing is needed,” the minister said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.
Speaking about the lack of funding, the minister said that a failure to carry out the police reform would signal that the country was unable to comply with its reform agenda.
”All the areas of the reform will require UAH 10 billion, or $400 million, in financing. This includes the reorganization of the Emergency Situations Ministry, which envisages the procurement of equipment – that`s a huge problem. There is no such equipment at our disposal at all. Additionally, there are the armed forces. The situation that we are seeing now with equipment purchases for the armed forces against the backdrop of an unfinished reform on special confiscation of assets … indicates that we are buying fewer weapons than in 2014-2015,” Avakov said.
This issue needs to be addressed immediately regardless of the fact whether the bill on special confiscation has been adopted or not, the minister stressed.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine`s police chief Khatia Dekanoidze stated that $200 million would be required to complete the Interior Ministry reform.