Groysman calls security services' pressure on business "sabotage against Ukraine"

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has called the activities of the economic departments of the law enforcement agencies against business "diversion against the economy of the state."

"Those law enforcers who have allowed themselves to absolutely brazenly and voluntarily enter legal businesses and inflict pressure on them – I consider such actions, if they are proved, sabotage against the economy of our state," he said during a traditional Government questions and answers session in the Verkhovna Rada March 23.

At the same time, he advocated the abolition of functions of security agencies to control businesses.

"We fully support the canceling of 'communication' between businesses and the SBU, PGO and law enforcement agencies. The economic function of security forces is an absolute rudiment. I will defend this position, although now I have 'good friends' in the SBU's economic departments," Groysman said.

Read alsoUkraine in 2018 to conduct most extensive roadworks ever – GroysmanAs UNIAN reported earlier, the government has created a special commission of representatives of business associations, which will have the right to consider cases of pressure by law enforcement agencies on businesses.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during a meeting with business representatives in October 2017 instructed Nina Yuzhanina, who chairs the parliament's tax and customs policy committee, to prepare a draft law on the Financial Investigation Service, which would enjoy the exclusive right to inspect businesses. At the same time, similar functions of other law enforcement agencies shall be abolished. The new agency was supposed to be launched in the second quarter of 2018.

Read alsoUkraine's parliament tightens rules for auditingOn March 19, Yuzhanina registered in parliament a draft law on the National Financial Security Bureau, which is an alternative to the draft law on the Financial Investigation Service, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in the spring of 2017.