Another step towards financial independence: the law regulating the powers of the Accounting Chamber in the budget process has come into force

On March 5, 2025, the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine to Update and Improve Certain Provisions” dated January 16, 2025 No. 4225-IX (draft law No. 12245 came into force. Among other things, the provisions of the law supplement certain provisions of the Budget Code of Ukraine, which implement the guarantees of financial support for the activities of the Accounting Chamber provided for in Article 5 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Accounting Chamber”, and also regulate its powers to conduct external audits in the budget process. Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of the new Law:

- The Accounting Chamber, on a par with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and  The High Council of Justice, before the Government adopts a decision on the approval of the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine, will have the right, if necessary, to submit its proposals to the articles related to ensuring its functioning (Article 37 of the BCU);

- In the event of disagreements regarding the determination of the amount of financial support for the activities of the Accounting Chamber during the preparation of the draft State Budget of Ukraine,  The Government shall submit, together with the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine, information on the consideration of the proposals of the Accounting Chamber in the said draft (Article 38 of the BCU, Article 5 of the Law);  

- In the event of further unresolved disagreements, the Accounting Chamber has the right to submit relevant proposals (with justifications and calculations) to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Budget Issues for decision-making during consideration of the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine (Article 5 of the Law);

- The Government must also coordinate with the Accounting Chamber proposals to reduce budget allocations for its maintenance (Article 23 of the BCU).

The new law also expands the tools of parliamentary control in the process of implementing the law on the State Budget of Ukraine, in particular, by hearing the conclusions of the Accounting Chamber on the implementation of the law on the State Budget of Ukraine and proposals to eliminate identified violations (Article 109 of the BCU). And the powers of the Accounting Chamber to monitor compliance with budget legislation are supplemented by control over the receipt and use of funds from local budgets (Article 110 of the BCU).