The State Agency for Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor), within the framework of a joint anti-corruption project, will reconfigure its management and procurement practices in accordance with the recommendations of the consultants of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
On Tuesday, March 12, a kick-off meeting was held on the development and implementation of the Anti-Corruption Action Plan for the road industry of Ukraine within the framework of the specified joint project, Ukravtodor said on its Telegram channel.
The loan agreement between Ukravtodor and the EBRD worth EUR 450 million, signed in December last year, provides for the implementation of four important reforms for the road industry: procurement reform, improved traffic safety, development of infrastructure for electric transport and anti-corruption reform.
“We highly appreciate the initiative of Ukravtodor to implement this project, because it should result in a completely updated management system for the road industry. In case of a successful launch of an anti-corruption pilot project in Ukravtodor, this experience can be scaled up to other business entities and public sector organizations who are partners of the EBRD in Ukraine,” head of transport projects of the EBRD Andriy Tsokol is quoted as saying in the message.
The Basel Institute on Governance (Switzerland), an international non-profit anti-corruption organization that works in partnership with the Ukrainian law firm Sayenko Kharenko, has been involved in the work on the implementation of anti-corruption reform.
“By May of this year, the consultants will study and analyze the procurement and management processes in Ukravtodor from the point of view of preventing corruption. Based on the study, it is planned to finalize and approve the Anti-Corruption Action Plan in July 2021. Until 2023, the consultant will accompany the implementation of the Plan in Ukravtodor and its subdivisions,” the message reads.
Head of Ukravtodor Oleksandr Kubrakov also noted that over the past year the agency managed to create uniform procurement rules in the industry, introduce independent technical supervision and additional control of design decisions.
“We worked to prevent corruption risks by digitalizing management processes and improving executive and financial discipline. A pilot project with the EBRD gives a chance for these changes to become irreversible,” he stressed.
As reported, Ukravtodor initiated the inclusion of the Anti-Corruption Pilot Project in the loan agreement with the EBRD in the spring of 2020. The terms of the agreement provide for the mandatory implementation of reforms in order to receive credit tranches.
ANTI-CORRUPTION, ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT, EBRD, LAUNCHES, LAUNCHES PROJECT, STATE AGENCY FOR ROADS
Lviv IT Cluster, an association of IT companies, is launching a project to build an IT Village housing estate, designed for 133 private homes for IT specialists, IT Cluster’s press service has reported. “IT Village will become a new town for IT professionals and a community of people with common interests. The complex with a total area of 17 hectares will consist of 133 separate houses in the village of Nahoriany in Pustomyty district, 9 km from Lviv,” the report said.
Construction will start in August-September 2018, the whole project is to be completed in 2-2.5 years.
The project is non-commercial and offers IT professionals houses with an area of 140 square meters to 350 square meters and a cost from $89,700 to $276,500. Additional infrastructure of the town includes a common recreation area, a sports field for children, a private park, a kindergarten and a supermarket.
The general contractor of IT Village is Lvivbud construction company, which previously participated in the IT House project.
As reported, Lviv IT Cluster plans to build Innovation District IT Park between the streets Stryiska, Chmoly, Luhanska and Kozelnytska in Lviv. The project provides for six eight-storey office buildings and two business centers, as well as a hotel, a kindergarten, a university, a fitness complex and a parking lot for 3,167 cars. The total area of the site is 10 hectares, the area of offices is 82,300 square meters, the area of the retail and service area is 12,900 square meters.
