Shmyhal about composition of Cabinet: optimization is still ahead

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted regarding the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers that there will be optimization ahead, but not during this autumn-winter period.

Shmyhal said this at a press conference, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"There were 22 members of the Cabinet of Ministers in the previous composition, now there are 20 of them. The reduction took place, although not to 17, as we announced and predicted. It is still ahead, such optimization will take place. Now we are looking at the needs that exist during the war, to a certain extent stability. Therefore, of course, radical changes can lead to unpredictable results, so we are very careful in forming our personnel policy," he said.

The Prime Minister noted that 10 members of the Cabinet of Ministers were appointed last week, 5 of them for vacancies where the duties of ministers were performed by deputies. The other 5 members of the Cabinet of Ministers were appointed to replace the previous ones, this decision was made by the single-majority parliamentary faction Servant of the People.

Regarding participation in the formation of the Cabinet of Ministers, Shmyhal noted that he had conversations with the candidates regarding the formation of a strategy for future work in the government.

At the same time, regarding the dismissed ministers, he emphasized that it is not about claims, but about increasing efficiency, changing challenges, directions and priorities, strengthening the team.

Later, answering a clarifying question about further changes in the government, Shmyhal noted that in the near future a minister will be appointed to a new ministry, tentatively called the Ministry of Ukrainian Unity, during this autumn-winter period he does not foresee significant personnel changes in the government.

"We have filled the vacancies, we have updated the ministers in accordance with the challenges. I plan that the vacancy in the Ministry of Ukrainian Unity will also be filled, I will call it in this way. This is another personnel issue that I see will be in the near future. In the future during this autumn-winter period I don't predict that there will be other personnel fluctuations in the Cabinet of Ministers. At least they will not be as significant as this personnel move that we saw last week," he said.

According to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers is now stabilized, all the tasks before the new ministers have been set.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in May, Shmyhal announced the government's intention to reduce the number of ministries by a third.