This is a diversion. The expert sharply criticized Hetmantsev’s “White Business Club”.

The “White Business Club” is criticized for its discriminatory nature and lack of transparent criteria for selecting members. In addition, such an initiative undermines trust in state institutions and creates an artificial division between entrepreneurs. Such an opinion in an exclusive comment UNN Serhii Dorotych, head of the #SaveFOP Movement, said.

Context

The first list of taxpayers who, according to tax officials, conscientiously comply with tax legislation will be published on November 29. It is planned to be published on December 19. The initiative to create a “white business club” belongs to the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, Danylo Hetmantsev. It is currently being actively promoted by acting of the deputy head of the DPS, Yevgeny Sokur, who, according to the media, is a protege of the people’s deputy in the tax office.

Creating a “White Business Club” is the wrong way. In effect, this means that those who do not make it to this list are automatically considered “grey” or criminal. This is unacceptable, because we have a declared presumption of innocence. Until law enforcement agencies or a court has established guilt, any entrepreneur should be considered “white”

He also drew attention to the lack of a transparent mechanism for selecting members of this “club”. “How is it determined who gets on this list? Why do some businesses get on and others don’t? Where are the guarantees that honest micro-entrepreneurs who work every day to provide for their families and generate, however small, a share of GDP, will not be labeled as “grey” “I haven’t found a clear algorithm for how, for example, the FOP can get in? And our FOPs are a priori shady people and schemers?” – said Dorotich.

According to Dorotych, this initiative endangers trust in business and the state, as it creates a division that has no logical and legal justification.

“All actions generated by Hetmantsev are sabotage. It undermines trust in state institutions and demotivates entrepreneurs to work legally. I categorically criticize this practice and will continue to do so,” he emphasized.

Let’s add

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in general the scandalous draft law of the chairman of the tax committee of the parliament, Danylo Hetmantsev, on the “white business club”. Both Hetmantsev’s colleagues in the parliament and experts criticized the document. Even in the legal opinions it was indicated that it does not correspond to the legislation of Ukraine.

In the comments UNN economic experts pointed out that the document violates the Constitution of Ukraine and creates discriminatory conditions in the business environment.

Analysts of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs also conclude that Hetmantsev’s draft law contains discriminatory norms and has corruption risks.

Business Ombudsman Roman Vashchuk also stated that the draft law on the “white business club” is discriminatory.

In addition, the creation of the “white business club” was recognized as anti-reform in Ukraine.

We will remind

Criminal proceedings have been opened against Yevgeny Sokur under 3 Art. 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, on the fact of exceeding official powers. The case was opened due to the fact that on October 26, 2022, he signed an order to cancel the license of PJSC “Ukrtatnafta” for the production of fuel. Such actions of the taxman, according to the investigation, caused serious consequences for society, as well as for the state in the form of the impossibility of fulfilling the mobilization tasks of the Ministry of Defense for the production and supply of petroleum products for the needs of defense and defense capabilities of the state. The State Bureau of Investigation reported UNNthat this criminal case is still under investigation.

In addition, according to the data UNN, Yevgeny Sokur entered probably unreliable data in the declaration for 2023. In particular, he did not indicate the data about his roommate in the document. During the investigation into the case of an alleged attempt on him, Sokur himself told the law enforcement officers that since 2016 he has been living with a girl named Alina in an apartment on Lobanovskyi Avenue, 6-D. However, in his declarations, Sokur never mentioned his roommate. After the parliamentary appeal of Nina Yuzhanina, a member of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, the NAZK started an investigation into Yevgeny Sokur. In the Agency in response to the request UNN also confirmed that they monitor the official’s lifestyle. The head of the Public Council at the NAZK, Kateryna Butko, noted that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption is checking whether Sokur lived together with his roommate Alina.

Also in 2022, he declared income from the sale of securities in the amount of almost UAH 2.6 million, but these funds were not reflected in his declaration for 2023. This may indicate a violation of legislation that requires reporting significant changes in property status. According to Art. 52 of the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption”, the declarant is obliged to report such changes within 10 days. According to Oleksandr Zolotukhin, a member of the National Association of Advocates, the official may try to explain why he did not declare these expenses by saying that he leads such a lifestyle and, for example, likes to eat well.