OREANDA-NEWS. December 6, 2011. A meeting of the Public Council has been held at the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine on December 2.

The meeting has elected chairman and deputy chairmen, as well as secretary of the Public Council. Based on the voting, the Public Council of the Ministry of Finance is chaired by Ihor Mityukov, Director of the Financial Policy Institute nongovernmental organization.

In his opening speech Ihor Mityukov, the newly appointed chairman, said: “What we have to do is to assist the financial system in going the right way of its development, and the main thing is that we must bring the opinion of the real economy and budget area people. Sincere and qualified public opinion is exclusively positive – the one aiming at developing the economy and providing for its resistance to both internal and global challenges”.

Also, in accordance with the Resolution No. 996 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On the Provision of the Public Involvement in Forming and Implementing the State Policy” dated November 3, 2010, the meeting has adopted the Public Council Statute and its Rules of Procedure. Both instruments guiding the Public Council’s activities were approved with due account for the Public Council members’ suggestions.

Participants have also heard and discussed draft action plan for the implementation of the Open Government Partnership.

It is worth saying that the Open Government Partnership admits the importance of public role in policy making and public administration, admitting in this context the need for encouraging the civil society’s wider involvement in policy making at all public administration levels, and public policy implementation appraisal not only resulting in the Government’s accountability before the society and policy making transparency but also raising public confidence in public authorities.

The Ministry of Finance Public Council members have unanimously decided to provide their suggestions and supported the Government’s initiative for improving the openness and transparency of itself and the entire executive power. Actions set forth by the Open Government Partnership plan are supposed to widen the public involvement opportunities, generate public awareness of the authorities’ accountability and flexibility, which will in turn increase the public authorities’ employees’ sense of responsibility for outcomes of their performance.

In order to promote civil society and adjust the authorities’ efficient cooperation with the civil society institutions, the Ministry of Finance carries out the appropriate work mostly based on principles of partnership, mutual concern about achieving the objectives related to the social and economic progress, and overall protection of human and civil rights and freedoms.