Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has once again failed to appoint anti-corruption investigator Oleksandr Tsyvinsky as director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on July 30.
"Today, at its meeting, the government once again violated the law and did not appoint the head of the Bureau of Economic Security," Zhelezniak said on his Telegram channel.
The news came just a day before the expiration of the International Monetary Fund's revised July 31 deadline for the appointment of a new BEB head — a key benchmark in Ukraine's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.
Tsyvinsky, who has over two decades of law enforcement experience and previously served at Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions, was selected by an independent commission on June 30.
The commission's three international members unanimously backed his nomination despite opposition from all three Ukrainian representatives. The Cabinet's latest refusal to approve Tsyvinsky is the second failure to confirm his appointment this month.
The move drew criticism from civic watchdogs and international partners who have warned that repeated delays and apparent political interference in the process could undermine Ukraine's credibility.
Tsyvinsky holds clearance for state secrets, passed special vetting, and is known for exposing illegal land seizure schemes in Kyiv.
Transparency and anti-corruption groups say his candidacy was rejected not for security reasons, but because President Volodymyr Zelensky's Office views him as too independent.
"Appoint Oleksandr Tsyvinsky as head of the Economic Security Bureau and start a real reboot of the body that the whole country is waiting for," over 60 Ukrainian civil society and business groups wrote in a July 18 public appeal to newly appointed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
The IMF originally set a February 2025 deadline for the appointment, but extended it to the end of July after Kyiv missed the initial benchmark.
According to the law creating the Bureau of Economic Security, the government has 10 days to appoint the candidate put forward by the commission.
Reforming the BEB — which was created in 2021 to investigate economic crimes — is a critical component of Ukraine's broader commitments to both the IMF and the European Union.
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