Ukraine Appoints Head of State Customs Service Fulfilling IMF Benchmark

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved NABU detective Orest Mandziy as the new chief of the State Customs Service following a competitive selection process. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied (For illustrative purposes) In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential press-service in Kyiv on June 28, 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) delivers a speech during the plenary session of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Parliament, on the national Constitution Day of Ukraine. (Photo by Handout / UKRAINE PRESIDENCY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine appointed Orest Mandziy as the Head of the State Customs Service on Friday, April 10. Mandziy was selected from a pool of finalists by a special commission. This appointment is a part of the comprehensive customs reform initiated by a law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2024. Selecting a head through an open competition is also a structural benchmark under Ukraine’s $8.1 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program with the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ). Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The IMF program provided that Ukraine was originally expected to fulfill this requirement by March 2026. The commission submitted its final candidates to the Ministry of Finance on March 27. After that, the Ministry presented the selected candidate to the Cabinet for approval. Ukraine’s finance ministry stated that the competition was conducted to ensure maximum impartiality and objectivity. To achieve this, the commission included an equal number of domestic and international experts who assessed the candidates’ suitability for the role. This transparent approach is designed to transform the State Customs Service into a more professional and corruption-resistant institution. The selection process lasted several months and was designed to be transparent. Of the 42 initial applicants, 15 candidates reached the final stage after undergoing tests of general abilities, professional knowledge of legislation, and leadership traits. Throughout February and March, the commission conducted deep integrity checks on all participants. The commission said it chose the head of the service very carefully, since customs is one of the most corruption-prone of state services. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine’s March Inflation Accelerates to 7.9% Higher fuel, transport, and seasonal costs have pushed consumer prices up, according to official statistics. The final choice came down to two top-tier candidates: Orest Mandziy and Ruslan Damentsov, both of whom serve as high-ranking detectives at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). Orest Mandziy’s professional career has been centered on law enforcement and anti-corruption, primarily within economic crime units. According to Interfax-Ukraine , Mandziy is a 1997 graduate of the Lviv Institute of Internal Affairs. He held several positions within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) in the Lviv and Rivne regions, serving as an operative in departments focused on combating organized crime and large-scale economic crimes. Between 2012 and 2017, Mandziy held various administrative and operational roles in western Ukraine. This included leading the economic crimes division in the Lutsk City Police and serving in specialized units within the Volyn and Lviv Regional Police Departments. In 2015, his responsibilities shifted toward international narcotics enforcement within the National Police’s regional divisions. Mandziy joined the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in 2017. During his work at the Bureau, he moved from senior detective to head of several specialized units. By early 2025, he was appointed to lead the unit of the 4th main detective department, Interfax-Ukraine reported. Mariіa Boltryk has been a journalist since 2022 and has been working for Ukraine's leading news agency Interfax-Ukraine. At Kyiv Post, she covers macroeconomics in Ukraine and business-related topics.