Why can't Ukrainian mothers get the Baby Package? How much does a baby box actually cost for a child? Will the payment of compensation for the "Baby Package" be increased?
The issuance of "Baby Packages" in Ukraine is once again overgrown with scandals. Recently, the Accounts Chamber published a report on the implementation of this initiative over the past three years. The report says that the lion's share of funds (2 billion. UAH) was spent on non-transparent purchases. Of these, 129 million The country paid hryvnias for services that were not available. At the same time, since 2018, the required baby boxes have not received more than 124 thousand. Ukrainians. Since the beginning of this year, another 90 thousand have been added to them. children who were not given “Baby Packs” for the simple reason that they were not purchased. Get compensation of 5 thousand. UAH is also a problem. Moreover, the Accounts Chamber called this amount inadequate.
How did you buy baby boxes in Ukraine?
Baby boxes were purchased opaquely (photo from open sources)
The "Baby Package" in Ukraine is a vivid example of how opportunities for financial fraud are ripening within a great initiative. According to the Accounting Chamber, since 2018 (when, in fact, the current practice of issuing baby boxes at the birth of a child was introduced), the state has “let down the pipe” $ 129 million. UAH, and more than 2 billion. UAH was spent non-transparently and non-competitively.
In short: at the time of the launch of the program on June 1, 2018, it was decided to purchase baby boxes under international technical assistance programs. There should have been two such programs. Ideally, participation in such projects involves a partial refund to the state budget or compensation of costs in another way (for example, gratuitous assistance).
However, the Accounts Chamber argues that in 2018-2020 the state did not receive for the purchase of "Baby Packages" penny, no services or works free of charge and irrevocable as an international technical help ". Moreover, the country had to pay for the services of an international intermediary: at first, 83.8 million were spent on this. UAH (2018-2019), and then another 45.5 million. UAH (2020). It is still not clear what services this intermediary provided if there was no international assistance, they summarize in the Accounts Chamber.
Over the past three years, the state has allocated $ 2.5 billion for the Baby Package program. hrn. These funds were used to purchase 587 thousand baby boxes ($ 2.1 billion). UAH), as well as to pay compensation to those families who have not received their "Baby Package" (400 million. UAH). According to statistics, during this period, the need of Ukrainian families for baby boxes was covered by 94%, that is, almost completely. And everything would be fine if not for the fact that the lion's share of the money was used without a transparent procurement system and in a non-competitive way.
For two and a half years, the purchases of baby boxes were carried out under standard contracts, all through the same international intermediary. During this time, according to official reports, 870 million were saved. UAH: out of 2.97 billion hryvnias, which were allocated for the program in the budget, spent only 2.1 billion. However, experts say that the state, on the contrary, regularly overpayed for the "Baby Package". At one time, its cost was 5 thousand. UAH was determined "by eye", while the actual price of the complete set initially ranged from 3 to 4.5 thousand. hrn.
How many children are left without baby boxes?
It is important for mom to get the baby box on time (photo from open sources)
The Ukrainian mother, in principle, does not care much about how much money was “laundered” or, on the contrary, “stained” at the stage of public procurement. The main thing is that she gets the Baby Package on time and preferably in full. However, there are also big problems with this. According to statistics from the Accounts Chamber, since 2018, more than 124 thousand. Ukrainian families did not receive their due at the birth of a child baby boxes.
It should be reminded that at the end of last year, due to a shortage of "Baby Packages", the state postponed their issuance for several months. So, children born from October 24 to December 31, 2020, were promised to issue baby boxes in January-February of this year. At the same time, few people thought about the fact that half of the things in it will no longer be relevant to parents: it is unlikely that a bodysuit for newborns can be pulled over a two-month-old baby.
Everything would be fine, and even bodysuits, if desired, can be resold or left for a second child. Only since the beginning of this year the situation has changed little. “Baby packages” are still issued intermittently and not in all maternity hospitals in the country. The Accounts Chamber notes that since January, baby boxes have not received 90 thousand dollars across the country. newborns. The reason is simple: as of May 2021, no new Baby Packages have been purchased.
How much does the Baby Package really cost?
Compensation for the "Baby Package" should be higher (photo from open sources)
The real cost of the package also raises questions from the Accounts Chamber. If earlier it was overestimated by the state, then after the latest changes in the configuration, its cost, on the contrary, turned out to be greatly underestimated. First of all, those families who want to pick up instead of baby box suffer from this monetary compensation. “The auditors believe that the amount of monetary compensation for the cost of the“ Baby Package ”is 5 thousand. UAH is not enough for parents to independently purchase a complete list of goods that are included in the baby box. When buying similar goods at retail, their cost rises to 9 thousand. hryvnia ", - says in the report of the Accounting Chamber.
The current situation does not play into the hands of parents: there are no baby boxes in the country, and they are offered to compensate them with an amount that is half their real cost. So you have to literally choose between a crane and a titmouse. At the same time, the crane is often defective: in the Accounts Chamber they say that after the revision of positions, the list of goods in baby boxes is often incomplete, they are given to people understaffed. And the titmouse is also lame - given the fact that it is not possible to spend the money received as compensation for the baby box everywhere. For example, out of 400 million UAH, which were paid to people instead of the "baby package" over the past two years, half is still in the accounts in Privatbank.
It is not yet clear how the conflict with the Baby Package will be resolved. In early April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law according to which all purchases under this program should henceforth be carried out on a tender basis through the ProZorro service. It remains to be hoped that this decision will move the procurement off the ground, and Ukrainian mothers will again receive baby boxes, as expected: immediately at the birth of a child and in full declared configuration.
You will also be interested to read:
Mom's piggy bank: they want to increase the payment for the first child to 50 thousand. hryvnias
Dr. Komarovsky named the pros and cons of baby boxing for newborns
