To the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
To the Prime Minister of Ukraine
To the Members of Parliament of Ukraine
Dear Mr Stefanchuk,
Dear Ms Svyrydenko,
Dear Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,
Think tanks specializing in economic policy present their compliments to you and appeal to you with a call to ensure the creation of an effective body for combating offenses that infringe on the functioning of the state’s economy – the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESB).
The appointment of a new head of the ESB, who was selected based on the results of a transparent competition, is an important step towards rebooting the body, yet it is not the completion of the reform. The next stage should be the creation of an institutionally capable Bureau that will have sufficient powers, resources, and guarantees for effectively combating economic crimes and the shadow economy.
The relevant requirements are enshrined in Ukraine’s international obligations, in particular within the framework of the European integration process, Roadmap on the Rule of Law, the Comprehensive Reform Plan for Law Enforcement Agencies for 2024–2027, and the Ukraine Facility programme.
In its Ukraine Report under the EU Enlargement Package, the European Commission emphasises the need for the further reform of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine through the re-certification of its personnel, the provision of adequate financial, human and technical resources, and the safeguarding of its institutional independence by designating the Bureau as a central executive authority with special status.
The Law of Ukraine “On the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine” should provide for the mandatory assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Economic Security Bureau’s activities, defining its key performance indicators, as well as mandatory periodic reporting on the agency’s official website regarding the results of its activities in relation to these indicators.
We also call for the introduction of oversight to ensure the mandatory registration of complaints and reports submitted by businesses concerning unlawful conduct by Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) officials. The registration of such complaints should result in the automatic initiation of disciplinary proceedings against such individuals. Furthermore, every complainant should receive a copy of the decision issued by the competent public authority upon the conclusion of those disciplinary proceedings, enabling them to challenge that decision before a court.
At present, the remuneration of Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) detectives is approximately half that of their counterparts in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and other anti-corruption agencies, owing to the application of a lower base salary coefficient (2102 UAH compared with 3328 UAH). As a result of insufficient funding, the Bureau is staffed at only 28 per cent of its required capacity: of the 4000 staff positions envisaged, only around 1145 are currently filled, while the Bureau lost a further approximately 150 employees in 2025. It is therefore necessary to increase the base salary coefficient to 3328 UAH by introducing the relevant amendments to Resolution No. 1068 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 6 October 2021, thereby bringing the BES remuneration system into line with those of other law enforcement agencies.
Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure equal financial conditions for Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) employees as those of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), to guarantee equal social safeguards, and to strengthen guarantees of the institution’s (ESBU) independence.
Such changes are essential to ensuring the genuine capacity of theEconomic Security Bureau of Ukraine (ESBU) to perform its core functions — combating economic crime, protecting legitimate business, and tackling the shadow economy.
We call on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and Members of Parliament to ensure a full institutional reset of the ESBU, to grant the institution the necessary special status and adequate powers, and to provide it with the requisite financial and technical resources.
We hope for responsible action from public authorities and their readiness to take decisions that strengthen trust in state institutions, support fair business, and contribute to Ukraine’s economic resilience.
Sincerely,
Think tanks:
Center for Social and Economic Research – CASE Ukraine
Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting
Institute of Social and Economic Transformation
Centre for Economic Strategy
Ukrainian Institute for Legal Policy
National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”
Growford Institute
Centre of Public Expertise
Institute of Tax Reforms
Tax Advisers Association
Advanter Group Think Tank
Chief Economist Office of the Coalition of Business Communities for the Modernization of Ukraine
Tax Group of the Economic Expert Platform
Institute of Finance and Law
“Technologies of Progress” Think Tank
