On 5 March, the Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI), Allan Pagh Kristensen, and the Mykolaiv City Mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This document marks an important step in strengthening the future cooperation between the EUACI and Mykolaiv. It signifies the Mayor’s and his team’s commitment to continuing joint efforts in combating corruption, increasing transparency, accountability, and integrity.
“Signing this agreement means that now we can do more planning for the future, focusing on our joint mission of implementing best integrity practices regarding the reconstruction process. There is a lot of work for us: both on the side of the city and the EUACI. We have presented the integrity assessment of the communal enterprise Mykolaivvodokanal, one of our core projects. We hope it will create more transparency and integrity and close gaps for corruption at the water enterprise,” emphasized the Head of the EUACI, Allan Pagh Kristensen.
After almost six months of assessment, significant work has been done. In cooperation with Deloitte and the City Mayor, a report and a list of recommendations to increase transparency and integrity of the enterprise were presented.
Oleksandr Sienkevych summarized: “It’s very important for Mykolaiv that we work not only on hard changes but also on soft changes: politics, processes, and, for sure, the work of the city council and its enterprises, to make it more transparent”.
1.5 years of cooperation with the Programme brought fruitful results in the city. A GIS module on damaged objects and objects for reconstruction has been implemented. An international aid monitoring system has been developed and implemented. Assessments of the procurement processes at Mykolaivvodokanal, the Capital Construction Department, and the Housing and Utilities Department have been conducted. Work on establishing a website on international aid monitoring and a website of the municipal ERP IsPro system is ongoing.
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