As the ceasefire in the Donbas takes hold, Ukraine can now face its other existential threat: the endemic corruption that threatens the country’s long-term stability and prosperity.While graft within the Ukrainian government is widespread, corruption is perhaps most threatening in the area of government procurement. Public procurement corruption costs Kyiv billions, with as much as $15 billion in state procurement funds stolen each year.Drug procurement is a particular sinkhole of corruption. A detailed 2013 report compiled by lawyers from Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Center (AnTAC) reveals a number of corrupt mechanisms used jointly by Ukraine’s “pharmaceutical mafia” and Ministry of Health …read more
Source: Atlantic Council
