The Ukrainian government will implement clearer criteria for determining the criticality of enterprises and the necessity of reserving employees following an audit, stated Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
"We are currently conducting an audit of the criticality of enterprises. Unfortunately, the existing parameters have allowed for fraud. We observed this in the summer and are now conducting an inventory. We will complete it sooner than November 15 and establish absolutely transparent, clear, unambiguous criteria for reservation, free from subjectivity. These will not fundamentally change the existing system or the resolution in place, but will enable a more precise determination of the criticality of enterprises and the need to reserve certain employees," Shmyhal said at the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) on Thursday.
He added that while the audit is ongoing, reservations can be extended for those whose reservations are expiring, specifically for those who were reserved until May 31, 2024.
As an example of future changes, the Prime Minister mentioned the salary regulations. In particular, it is proposed to introduce a specific minimum amount for reserving individuals, rather than relying on the average salary in the region.
"Additionally, there will be other parameters that do not allow for any leeway. It was precisely within these leeway possibilities that fraud manifested, leading to an abnormal number of reservations in the summer. When we conducted the first audit, we found that individuals had been reserved who pay taxes on salaries lower than the minimum wage and who had not updated their information. Such situations need to be eliminated," he added.
The Prime Minister emphasized that this issue is very sensitive, as it is necessary to find a balance between a functioning economy and the needs of the Defense Forces.
"It is essential that key specialists can continue to work, and there needs to be rotations for those who have been protecting our state at the front for over 2.5 years, and in some cases even longer," he added.
The Prime Minister also noted that he would like to introduce economic reservations, but, according to him, the military and those on the front lines do not perceive this very positively.