The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has introduced a new position — Government Commissioner for Customs Reform. Former head of Ukrposhta Ihor Smilyansky has been appointed to this key role. However, the decision has caused a mixed reaction in society.
Smilyansky, who has headed Ukrposhta since 2016, is known not only for his managerial decisions, but also for a number of scandals. In 2020, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) opened criminal proceedings against him. The case was initiated due to suspicions of abuse of office and possible bribery during the organization of international postal shipments.
That same year, Smilyansky made an attempt to sell the historic Main Post Office building in downtown Kyiv, citing a lack of funds for renovation. The asking price was 1 billion hryvnia, but the idea sparked a flurry of criticism.
“Reforms” with millions in salaries
During his time at Ukrposhta, Smilyansky received a salary of 836,000 hryvnias per month, which became the subject of public outrage. This contrasted sharply with the salary of an ordinary postman, which was only 6,000 hryvnias. Smilyansky repeatedly claimed that such remuneration for postmen was acceptable, which raised even more questions about his approaches to social policy.
Despite the scandals, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed confidence in the new Commissioner, emphasizing the importance of reforming customs as a key element in the fight against corruption and optimizing economic processes.
However, the decision to appoint someone with such a controversial background leaves many questions. Will Smilyansky live up to expectations and overcome corruption in the customs sector? Or, perhaps, we are in for another series of scandals with multi-million dollar payments and questionable decisions?
