Ukrainian MPs are initiating an audit of the effectiveness of budget funds used by the State Audit Service and the Accounting Chamber for “major construction” projects, in particular, the “Shevchenko Hub” in Kaniv.
This was announced by People’s Deputy Maxim Tkachenko, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s Temporary Investigation Commission on the investigation of possible violations of Ukrainian law in the fields of culture, cultural heritage protection, tourism, physical culture, and sports, in a comment to Ukrinform.
He recalled that in March this year, the Verkhovna Rada decided to create the relevant Temporary Investigation Commission.
“The commission includes representatives of almost all parliamentary factions and groups. We are already actively working with key ministries — culture and strategic communications, youth and sports, community development, as well as with the State Agency for Tourism. The commission’s task, in particular, is to find out why a number of projects in the field of culture, tourism, and sports remain unfinished or ineffective,” Tkachenko said.
According to him, working groups have been created under the commission, which work in the regions in the relevant areas. One of the first field meetings of the Temporary Commission took place in Kaniv, Cherkasy region.
“We visited sites that are important for Ukrainian culture, in particular, the Shevchenko National Reserve and the unfinished Shevchenko Hub cultural center. This site was supposed to become a landmark not only for Kaniv but for the whole country. Its construction was carried out as part of the President’s ”Great Construction” program and was supposed to be completed in 2021. But despite announcements about its opening, it still stands empty,” the TIC chairman emphasized.
The parliamentarian noted that the facility is more than 92% complete, but has not yet been put into operation.
According to Tkachenko, more than UAH 170 million has been spent on the construction of the hub, and another UAH 14.7 million is needed to complete it, “but the Cherkasy Regional Military Administration, which is currently responsible for the facility, has not resolved the issue of financing and has not put the building into operation.”
“Unfortunately, there is still a building in the center of Kaniv with a sign saying ‘Major Construction,’ but without a single visitor. This facility could have become a center of Ukrainian identity, a place of cultural strength in wartime. Therefore, we are initiating an audit of the effectiveness of the use of budget funds by the State Audit Service and the Accounting Chamber. We want to achieve the opening of this complex and similar frozen projects,” Tkachenko said.
He stressed that this is not an isolated case, but part of a systemic problem with “frozen” cultural and sports facilities that have remained unfinished for years.
“We have already appealed to the Prime Minister to conduct an analysis of the state of cultural and sports facilities financed in 2020-2022 under the ”Great Construction“ program. We will definitely inform the public about the progress of the work,” the parliamentarian emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, the “Great Construction” program was launched in the spring of 2020 on the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Its goal was to develop high-quality social infrastructure (schools, kindergartens, hospitals, sports facilities) in Ukraine and to renovate roads throughout the country.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau is investigating a number of cases related to the implementation of the Great Construction infrastructure projects, and expert examinations are ongoing.
Photo: Facebook page of Ihor Lutsenko
Source: Deputies seek audit of funds used in “Great Construction” projects
