Representative of the Civil Network OPORA was hindered from entering the meeting of Budget Committee, on which MPs supported covering the excessive expenses of the President by the Shevchenko National Prize and postgraduate scholarships.
On October 9, 2013 the urgency of government's openness and transparency was proved again on the scheduled meeting of the Budget Committee. Representative of the Civil Network OPORA, who is accredited parliamentary journalist, was hindered from entering the committee meeting. This time, MPs of Ukraine were protected from the media by employees of the the Secretariat of the Committee. They had blocked the entrance to session hall and didn't let the journalist come in. State servants explained that the correspondents were not invited, that mass media representatives shall agree their presence with the Committee Head, and that there are no free places in the hall. Finally, the officials mentioned that OPORA representative made audio recording during the previous meeting, with no permission of the Committee Head. On demand of Members of Parliament, one of those young men blocking the entrance identified himself as employee of the Secretariat Volodymyr Tovstak. The other violators refused to introduce themselves to the journalist.
Members of the Budget Committee agreed to allocate additional funds for the maintenance of the President's residence Syniohora, and coverage of his unplanned expenses in Crimea.
Unlawful hindrance to journalist activities continued also during the meeting. Head of the Budget Committee, member of the Party of Regions Yevhen Hiellier, informed mass media representatives that they are allowed to be present only if they don't record MPs from the close distance. Such unlawful limitation of journalists' rights during the meeting of the Budget Committee can be explained by a desire to conceal consideration of the certain issues from the public. In particular, the order of the Cabinet of Ministers on redistribution of the State Budget expenditures of the State Directorate for Affairs.
Members of the Budget Committee agreed to allocate additional funds for the maintenance of the President's residence Syniohora and coverage of his unplanned expenses in Crimea. According to the Head of the Finance Department of the State Directorate for Affairs Vasyl Dmytruk, the considered amount was 747 thousand UAH. This amount includes 668.3 thousand UAH on communal services and electricity charge, which appeared after some additional objects were installed in the President's residence Syniohora. Reallocation of 78.7 thousand UAH was explained by the fact that while staying in Crimea, President's expenses exceed the budget during his staying in Crimea. MPs agreed to cover these expenses by the Shevchenko National Prize and postgraduate scholarships of the National Institute for Strategic Studies.
"These funds were taken from the Shevchenko National Prize. As long as we have money for 5 prizes but only 3 prizes were granted, we saved 520 thousand, – explained the Head of the Finance Department of the State Directorate for Affairs Vasyl Dmytruk. – Besides that, we saved 227 thousand on postgraduate scholarships of the Institute for Strategic Studies, as long as the scholarships became smaller and the number of postgraduates decreased."
The Shevchenko National Prize was established in 1961. It's the highest reward for the development of culture and art. Shevchenko prizewinners are: Nazarii Yaremchuk, Vasyl Shkliar, Yurii Shevelov, Viacheslav Chornovil and other famous public figures in Ukraine.