Simeon Djankov, ex-Minister of finance of Bulgaria visited KSE with #UkraineReforms project
February 26, 2016
On Feb.22-24 Mr.Simeon Djankov, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of finance of Bulgaria in 2009 – 2013, author of World Bank’s Doing Business project visited Kyiv and Odesa within the frame of #UkraineReforms, joint project of Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Kyiv School of Economics, Reanimation Package of Reforms and Stronger Together.
Mr.Djankov started his visit from the lecture at Kyiv School of Economics on successes and failures in post-communist reform. He presented an overview of changes in income, political and property rights and other indicators in the countries of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former Soviet Union within 25 year-period. According to him, even after 25 of transition in a number of countries, including Russia and Ukraine, the oligarchs still control not just business life but also public life, which prevented major political and economic changes.
The presentation is available here:
“The one reform that is the most difficult to figure out how to do in Ukraine, is reducing the role of the oligarchs,” Mr.Djankov said. He also emphasized that macroeconomic stabilization, privatization and lustration should be the priorities on Ukraine’s government reform agenda now. “If you can privatize in the first six months of you in power, regardless of how you do it, that’s the most successful reform you can do,” he said. To stabilize the currency and stop devaluation he recommended to introduce the currency board in Ukraine. “Currency board can work even in the countries, which are highly corrupt. It worked in Bulgaria and can work in Ukraine,” he said.
More details, photoes & videos on our KSE blog.