Ukrainian SME professionals near the office of the host organisation Ecorys
The USAID Participant Training Program (PtP) provides a unique opportunity for Ukrainian professionals to gain knowledge and skills from American and European colleagues in order to improve the political, social, and economic context in Ukraine. Since the Program launched, more than 190 participants have been trained in the U.S., Poland, Netherlands, Czech Republic and other European countries and are now prepared to share international best practices and knowledge with their colleagues and peers throughout Ukraine.
Sergjj Tretiakov,, onsultant Assistant of a Member of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Integration of Ukraine into the European Union requires reforms of its inefficient, outdated and cumbersome legislative and regulatory systems. The current Government in Ukraine has pledged to make changes which address some of the most egregious practices and deficiencies in its systems. Alumni of two USAID PtP projects have contributed to the development and amendment of regulations regarding political finance and small business administration.
In February 2015 a group of 10 participants, including investigative journalists and CSO activists, went to the Czech Republic for a “Political Finance Monitoring and Advocacy for Reform” training program. The achievements of the Czech civil society and media inspired Ukrainian journalists and experts to write several publications in the Ukrainian media expressing support for the introduction of European tools, methods and approaches to monitor political campaigns which ultimately helped to develop the Ukrainian Law on Political Finance. Participants’ joint advocacy efforts resulted in successful adoption of this law by the Verkhovna Rada in October 2015 to reinforce transparent budgeting of political parties and financing elections in Ukraine. “Program presentations in Prague helped me to create a TV spot about absence of the financial statements of Ukrainian parliamentary candidates“, shared Sergii Andrushko, Investigative Journalist working on the First National Chanel.
Sergjj Tretiakov and Dmytro Lyapin, experts in regulatory policy, participated in a PtP study tour entitled “Improving Methods and Skills to Reduce Administrative Burden on SME Sector” in the Netherlands in May 2015. After returning to Ukraine they both created tools to analyze the impact of new regulations on the SME sector. Mr. Tretiakov, as a Consultant Assistant to a Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, developed four draft laws introducing efficiency assessment tools. One of these laws, the Law on State Registration of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Civic Organizations, was adopted by Verkhovna Rada on November 25, 2015 and includes a model for quantitative assessment of the regulatory impact on the SME sector. Mr. Lyapin, in collaboration with experts from the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine, developed a Ukrainian version of the SME Test called the M-Test. This tool measures the administrative burden on small businesses in order to reduce it. A Draft Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers was developed to introduce the M-Test in Ukraine and support the creation of a favorable business climate. Utilization of M-Test methodology provided justification for excluding small businesses with an annual income less than 1 million Ukrainian Hryvna from several mandatory regulations.
Sergii Andrushko,, Investigative Journalist of the First National Chanel