ESBU Reform during the War: Institutional Capacity and Financial Support as the Foundation of the State's Economic Resilience

 Enhancing institutional capacity, human resources, and legislative amendments are crucial components of further reform of the ESBU and the state's economic resilience. These exact issues were discussed during the public debate "Institutional Capacity of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine as an Integral Component of Ukraine's Economic Resilience." The event was organized by the non-governmental organization "Center for Democratic Transformation 'MEZHA'."

The discussion was attended by Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, Director of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine; Taras Shcherbai, First Deputy Director; and Yuriy Bielousov, Deputy Director.

During the event, participants discussed the progress of the ESBU reform, key challenges, staffing, and legislative amendments necessary to strengthen the state's economic security.

The Bureau's leadership emphasized that the ESBU is one of the first state bodies to undergo a large-scale transformation amid full-scale war. At the same time, the processes of vetting, competitive selection, attracting new specialists, and implementing new approaches to work are ongoing.

"In fact, we are changing the system while it is operating. For us, reform is not only about fighting the shadow economy. It is about building a resilient institution that protects public finances, establishes fair rules for business, and ensures the country's economic security," noted Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi.

Special attention during the discussion was paid to the issues of the ESBU's institutional independence and the financial support of its employees. The Bureau emphasized that operational efficiency directly depends on the ability to build a strong professional team and retain highly qualified specialists. At the same time, existing legislative restrictions complicate the implementation of these processes.

One of the key priorities is ensuring a competitive level of remuneration. According to ESBU representatives, the issue of financial support is not limited solely to salaries. It is about creating proper conditions for the stable operation of the institution, ensuring its efficiency, and enabling it to fully perform its assigned functions.

The importance of granting the ESBU a special status was emphasized, which is a component of implementing the Rule of Law Roadmap. This decision will help strengthen the institutional independence of the body, create proper conditions for attracting professional personnel, and increase the efficiency of executing tasks in the area of national economic security.

The ESBU also emphasized that the key task remains not only responding to offenses but also preventing them by identifying and eliminating risks at the very initial stages of their formation. Today, analytical tools make it possible to identify the most heavily shadow-driven segments of the economy, prevent budget losses, and build partner relationships with businesses.

The discussion participants noted that they already see practical results of the ESBU's transformation and positive changes in the approaches to the body's work. Representatives of international partners, the expert community, and the business community positively assessed the work carried out and supported the further implementation of systemic changes aimed at the de-shadowing of the economy, the formation of transparent rules of operation, and the creation of comfortable conditions for honest business.

The event was attended by representatives of the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD, the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, the EU Advisory Mission, the Council of Europe, international technical assistance projects, as well as the embassies of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, and other partner countries. Representatives of the NACP, the Accounting Chamber, the State Customs Service, analytical centers, business associations, and expert organizations also joined the discussion.

The ESBU expresses its gratitude to the organizers and participants of the event for the open dialogue, constructive proposals, and support for the further development of systemic changes.