Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Agrarian Minister Oleksiy Pavlenko announces that the State Service for Food Safety and Protection of Consumers of Ukraine (Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba), which was established by the Ukrainian government in September 2014, is scheduled to start work on February 10, 2016.
"We've scheduled the launch for February 10. I can preliminarily announce this," the minister told reporters.
The full-scale launch of the service's central office and regional branches is scheduled simultaneously. With the new Service becoming operational in the regions, its predecessors – the reorganized and liquidated offices based on which Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba was created – will cease their operation. The minister assured that this would not stall the performance of the relevant functions by the Service.
"These are planned actions required for a transition. There will no suspension of the service," Pavlenko assured.
After the launch of the regional branches, the service will continue the formation of its staff and budget, the minister said. The new state agency's work will be financed at the expense of budget funds allocated for the state establishments which are being reorganized or liquidated. The minister declined to comment on the resignation of Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba's head Serhiy Glushchenko, which was accepted by the Cabinet of Ministers on January 13.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the government decided to set up Derzhprodspozhyvsluzhba in September 2014 and instructed to create regional branches late in October 2015. The central office has already started performing separate functions, however, the regional branches have not yet begun work.
The new Service has been created on the basis of the State Agricultural Inspection, the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service, the State Inspection for Consumer Rights Protection and the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, which are being liquidated or reorganized.