There is a need to reform the State Tax Service in Ukraine in terms of a sharp reduction in the number of employees, as many services can now be provided electronically. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by the Chairman of the Committee of Economists of Ukraine Andriy Novak.
Details
The Chairman of the Rada's Tax Committee said that the government had decided to reduce the number of tax officers by 15% (3.3 thousand people). According to him, this was done due to digitalization and the introduction of a risk-based approach to tax control in the management of tax authorities.
Mr. Hetmantsev noted that the savings will be used to increase the salaries of tax officers.
However, the cuts are likely to affect vacant positions, and the number of employees physically present in the tax office is unlikely to change much.
The experience of previous reforms of the tax service shows that all reforms boil down to either merging the tax service with the customs or separating them, or changing the sign of the service itself. And, as a rule, after each such reform, the number of employees of this service only increases. Therefore, the only reform of the tax service that is needed now is a sharp reduction in the number of employees in this service
He added that with the current information systems and software, there is simply no need for such a large number of tax officers.
Most operations can and should now be done electronically, and even many things can be done within the Diia program. Therefore, there is no need for so many physical employees now. Therefore, the only reform that is needed here is a sharp reduction in the tax service staff
Add
Recently, there have been more and more reports of corruption being exposed among tax officials, including those in senior positions. The most recent example was the detention for bribery of Dmytro Nefyodov, acting deputy head of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Kyiv, who is a protege of the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service Yevhen Sokur.
Former MP Ihor Mosiychuk told UNN in a commentary that Sokur coordinates personnel appointments in the department with the head of the Rada's tax committee, Danylo Hetmantsev. Experts note that Hetmantsev is doing everything possible to make tax officials consider themselves "masters of life" who can create problems for any business.
Recall
Earlier , UNN reported that criminal proceedings were opened on November 4, 2022, against the protégé and right-hand man of the Chairman of the Tax Committee of the Rada, Danylo Hetmantsev, acting Deputy Chairman of the State Tax Service, Yevhen Sokur [4], under Part 3 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The case was opened on the fact of abuse of power by Sokur, who on October 26, 2022, issued an order to revoke the license of PJSC Ukrtatnafta for the production of fuel.
According to the investigation, his actions caused severe consequences for the company and the state in the form of the inability to fulfill the mobilization tasks of the Ministry of Defense for the production and supply of petroleum products for the needs of defense and defense capability of the state.
The Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed to UNNthat investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating a case involving the acting deputy head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Yevhen Sokur.