The NACP has clarified that foreign nationals serving on the supervisory boards of municipal enterprises are not exempt from the declaration requirement

Meeting between members of the Supervisory Board of Mykolaivvodokanal and employees of the municipal enterprise. Photo from the municipal enterprise’s social media

The National Agency for Corruption Prevention has explained that non-resident foreigners who sit on the supervisory boards of municipal enterprises are not exempt from the obligation to submit declarations.

This was communicated to NikVesti by the NACP’s communications department.

They explained that current legislation provides for an exemption from the declaration requirement for non-resident foreigners only in specific cases — if they are members of the supervisory boards of state-owned banks, state-owned enterprises, state organisations or commercial companies in which the state holds more than 50% of the shares.

However, this rule does not apply to municipal enterprises.

The issue of introducing exemptions for non-resident foreigners on the supervisory boards of municipal enterprises can only be resolved by parliament, through amendments to the relevant laws.

The agency also noted that it has a consistent legal position on this matter and recommended referring to official clarifications regarding the application of legislation in the field of asset declaration.

NAZK’s clarification regarding the declaration of foreign officials

As is known, the chair of the Supervisory Board of «Mykolaivvodokanal», Hanna Montavon, appealed to the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, requesting that Yulia Mincheva be removed from the implementation of corporate governance at the enterprise. The appeal states that during the formation of the Supervisory Board, Mincheva allegedly assured the foreign members of the body that they were not obliged to submit declarations in Ukraine. The police are currently investigating this matter.

Later, Yuliia Mincheva, an external adviser to the Mayor of Mykolaiv, responded to the allegations made by Hanna Montavon, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal». She stated that she was not responsible for overseeing the declaration process.

Ihor Bloshko, the anti-corruption officer at the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal», also commented on the situation. He stated that before reporting the matter to the police, he had twice warned the members of the Supervisory Board of the need to submit income declarations.

The water utility’s Supervisory Board

The municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal» became the first municipal enterprise to have a supervisory board. This is a collegial body that exercises strategic control over the enterprise’s activities, approves key management decisions and financial plans, and evaluates the performance of the management. It does not interfere in operational activities, influences the appointment and evaluation of the director, but will not dismiss or hire staff at other levels.

The decision to establish supervisory boards in Mykolaiv’s municipal enterprises was adopted in 2024 as part of corporate governance reform. Yuliia Mincheva, an external adviser to the Mayor of Mykolaiv, noted that the supervisory boards would nevertheless be a governing body, rather than an advisory one, with responsibility for the decisions taken. They will bear both legal and financial responsibility for their actions.

In January 2025, a competition was announced to select independent members, and on 29 May 2025, its composition was approved by the city council.

The supervisory board of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal» comprises five members, including:

1. Andrii Haidutskyi (Ukraine), Doctor of Economics, Master of International Economic Relations (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) and MBA specialising in strategy and corporate governance (KDI School, South Korea).

2. Andrii Yefimov (Ukraine), Master of Banking, with over 20 years of professional experience in finance, risk management and corporate governance.

3. Serhii Shkliar (Ukraine), Doctor of Law, specialist in international law (Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv) and business economics.

4. Bjørn Kaare Jensen (Denmark), a European expert in water management with nearly 40 years of professional and executive experience.

5. Hanna Montavon (Germany), founder and director of Mykolaiv Water Hub, a lawyer with international experience specialising in water infrastructure, public-private partnerships and legal support for municipal development.

In fact, a month ago in May, the Supervisory Board of the municipal enterprise officially approached the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption with a request to conduct an unscheduled inspection.