Dear ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank you sincerely for finding time and making it possible to join us today to learn about our Foundation.
I established the Foundation for Effective Governance in January 2007. Today I would like to explain to you why I mean created the Foundation; what goals we have set before ourselves; and what is my role.
The Foundation was established to contribute to the economic growth of Ukraine. The Foundation was established to make our economy more competitive in Europe and globally. And the most important reason, the Foundation was established to improve the standard of living and quality of life of each Ukrainian.
How are we going to achieve this?
The Foundation funds long-term projects and programs which are of strategic importance for the country. To develop and implement them, we invite the best Ukrainian and international experts. Everything we do is aimed at one goal: encouraging economic growth.
I know very well that Ukraine has many problems: low pensions, low salaries, problems in the heath care and education systems, as well as poor infrastructure. They are all systematic and require significant funding and resources both human and financial. This is why our main goal is facilitating Ukraine’s economic growth.
I think nobody doubts that the country needs reforms to achieve economic growth. But reform is a complex and sometimes painful process that needs to be managed effectively.
A clear, understandable, and long-term strategy always underlies effective governance. This is the strategy of victory that always prevails over a momentary interest.
Unfortunately, we have become used to looking under our feet so as not to trip over. Very often we cannot manage to do this and fall down, while our real task is to see the future and move forward.
I understand that we will come across many obstacles on this path. In order to overcome them successfully, we need to learn from the world’s best practice. And we should not be ashamed or afraid of it. This is why we will bring in the best local and international experts with similar experience in other countries.
And finally, what is my role?
My role is really simple – to provide stable funding and not to interfere with Foundation’s activity.
All decisions are made by the Board of Trustees which consists of people with excellent international reputations and experience that is important for us.
I would like to add that the Foundation is open to other partners.
Thank you for attention!
