The head of the National Commission for State Regulation in the Spheres of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKU), Konstantin Ushchapovskyy, has resigned as its head.
“Yesterday (February 22 – ER) ended the last day of my powers as head of NKREKU. And soon, together with colleagues, by secret ballot, we will elect a new head of the regulator,” he wrote in his Facebook.
As the NKREKU noted on its Facebook on Friday, Ushchapovskyi has been a current member of the regulator since today (February 23 – ER).
In the post, Ushchapovsky added that in his position as a member of the NKREKU will continue to work on the implementation of solutions necessary to stabilize the market, its further development and integration into the EU, calling the critical issue of resolving the debt crisis on it.
He pointed out that the regulator and the Ministry of Energy have already developed a list of necessary regulations and measures that should be implemented in the near future.
According to the law on the NKREKU, the head of the Commission is elected by its members by secret ballot for a period of two years. One and the same person cannot be elected chairman for two consecutive terms. In case of expiration of the term for which the chairman of the NKREKU was elected or early termination of his powers, the vote to elect a new head shall be held within 10 days from the date of termination of these powers.
As explained to Energoreforma in the NKREKU, until its head is elected, the Commission cannot hold meetings, as only he has the authority to sign the agendas of meetings and adopted resolutions and orders.
As reported, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on July 1, 2020 approved the scheme of rotation of members of the NKREKU until 2025. According to the decree No. 258, the first (until July 1, 2020) rotation applies to the commission member Olena Antonova, who challenged her dismissal in court. She is followed by Krivenko’s rotation (until July 1, 2021), then Oleksiy Magda (until July 1, 2023), then Olga Babiy and Dmytro Kovalenko (until July 1, 2024), and after that Ruslan Kaidash and Valeriy Tarasyuk (until July 1, 2025).
The competition is announced three months before the end of the term of office of one or another member of the regulator. The competition committee should select two candidates for consideration and approval by the government.
At the end of May 2023, the competitive commission for the selection of candidates to the NKREKU elected two candidates for the position of a member of the regulator in the person of Oleksandr Kosyanchuk and Mikhail Bno-Ayriyan.
The government is still undecided on the choice.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Bno-Ayriyan became the head of the European Integration Committee of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (FEU) in August 2023.
Thus, one seat is vacant in the Commission. Apart from Kostyantyn Ushchapovskyy, it includes Olha Babiy, Dmytro Kovalenko, Ruslan Kaidash, Valeriy Tarasyuk and Oleksandr Formagyi.
