They bought a TV instead of windows: Mykolaiv’s Housing and Utilities Department has reported cases of misuse of funds «eVidnovlennia»

A high-rise building in Mykolaiv damaged by shelling, photo by NikVesti

In Mykolaiv, cases of misuse of funds under the «eVidnovlennia» programme have been identified; this programme provides residents with compensation for property damaged as a result of the war. In such cases, the money received will have to be returned.

This was announced by Ihor Nabatov, First Deputy Director of the Housing and Utilities Department, during a briefing on the restoration of facilities in the city, reports NikVesti.

According to him, compensation for damaged property is paid in two instalments. After each payment, a verification is carried out to check that the funds are being used for their intended purpose.

«Once the first tranche has been used, the person applies via ‘Diia’ for an interim verification. A commission visits, confirms that the funds are being used for their intended purpose, and approves the release of the second tranche,» says the deputy director of the Housing and Utilities Department.

According to him, if it is found that the funds were not used for renovation, they will have to be returned in full. However, there is currently no mechanism in place for this.

«If, for example, a person has used 20% for the intended purpose and 80% for other purposes, then the entire amount allocated is subject to return. There is no such mechanism yet, but, according to information from the ministry, this mechanism is being developed and relevant changes will be introduced shortly. The commission will contact law enforcement agencies to document the misuse of funds,» he says.

Ihor Nabatov also reported that of the 3,071 applications approved in Mykolaiv, 1,444 have reached the final verification stage.

«On the downside, we currently have cases where, during the final verification stage, people fail to confirm that they have used the funds for their intended purpose. This amounts to at least five applications during the interim verification stage. And out of the 278 re-checked applications, only 63 were granted ‘intended use’ status,» noted Ihor Nabatov.

He gave one example where people bought a new television instead of replacing their windows.

«People received money to replace windows under the e-Recovery scheme, but bought themselves a new television. Something like that. The windows are still as broken as they were. And people say quite openly: «I believe I have the right to use these funds to buy a television»,» he noted.

It should be recalled that the Council of Europe Development Bank has approved the allocation of an additional €100 million for the «eVidnovlennia» programme. This is the third phase of funding for the HOME project, which provides compensation to Ukrainians for destroyed housing.

It should be noted that the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has conducted over 70 tenders for the procurement of goods and services for the Mykolaiv region. Their total value is $35 million.