The Entrepreneurial Council at the Office of the President of Ukraine has effectively ceased active operations after personnel changes at the end of 2024. Meetings between government representatives and business have not been held for over two months, and the dialogue has devolved into internal discussions without the participation of the government or the Office. This was stated by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to the publication, after the dismissal of Andriy Yermak, who served as the head of the council, and the loss of office by Yuriy Kation, who was its secretary, the work of the body has effectively stopped. Kation focused on the banking sector and headed the board of Oschadbank, while a new format for interaction with the government has yet to be established.
The Entrepreneurial Council at the Office of the President: What is happening now
Formally, the council continues to exist in the form of industry committees, however, this is rather a discussion of business with business. Representatives of the Cabinet and the Office of the President do not participate in meetings, which participants label as a key disadvantage.
One businessman, on condition of anonymity, noted that for full-fledged work it is necessary to restore dialogue with parliament, the government, and the Office since without this, the council is unable to influence decision-making.
Dialogue between the government and business: expectations without results
The head of the food committee of the council, Arsen Didur, stated that the problem lies not so much in the lack of communication but in the government's inability to respond promptly to business requests. Other council participants also mentioned the excessively soft format of dialogue that does not yield practical results.
Among the topics that have recently been discussed in the committees:
- the updated Labor Code project;
- issues of economic de-shadowing;
- problems of interaction between businesses and regulatory bodies.
There has been no deputy responsible for economic policy in the Office of the President for over one and a half years. After the dismissal of Rostyslav Shurma in September 2024, this issue has not been resolved. Temporarily, the direction has been transferred to Deputy Head of the Office Viktor Mykyta, who is responsible for regional policy.
A new head of the Entrepreneurial Council may be appointed within the next month, and the body is planned to be expanded to represent the interests of not just big business.
Recall that MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak assessed the work of the Office of the President of Ukraine after the appointment of Kyrylo Budanov.