Today, during the opening of a new branch of Border Inspectors in Vinnytsia region, Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko has spoken about reforms taking place in the Border Agency.

Today, during the opening of a new branch of Border Inspectors in Vinnytsia region, Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko has spoken about reforms taking place in the Border Agency. He has admitted that the Agency is currently optimizing the structure of its personnel and has already approached 4 regional offices reduction.

He has also presented the prospect of transition to a three-tier system of administration, which will enable to strengthen the detachments of the state border protection.

“We are going to reduce the number of administrative units and increase the number of people who protect the state border day by day,” the head of the Border Agency said.

 The Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has stated that the border legislation is being improved, the security and engineering and technical equipment of the border are being increased. In particular, thanks to an intergovernmental agreement with France, the Maritime Guard is to receive 20 new ships, and as early as December 30, two of the 24 first modern patrol helicopters are expected to replenish the aviation fleet of the State Border Guard Service.

“It will enable us to react more effectively and urgently to changes in situations and provide for the staff evacuation in different conditions,” Serhii Deineko said.

“We are in the process of cardinal change of the approach to the work with personnel. The main thing is for a border guard to feel confident and under the care and protection of his country,” the head of the Border Agency stressed.

He also mentioned that the State Border Guard Service is currently implementing a departmental anti-corruption program, the New Face of the Border and The New Face of Leadership projects. He also expressed satisfaction with the second phase of the selection process for the positions of the heads of border guard detachments and stressed that the heads of operative-search units, heads of HR Departments as well as heads of departments of border service are to be elected in the near future in the same way. There is going to be competitive selection at all levels of military management. “There is a serviceman, there is a border guard, and only he determines his future, irrespective of his surname, irrespective of his parents’ positions”, Serhii Deineko added.

He also focused his attention on the two main tasks posed to border guards by the Ukrainian society and the President of Ukraine, namely to eliminate smuggling activities and to eradicate corruption in the State Border Guard Service.

“I have a dream that in the nearest future our border guards will be proud of their service in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the border guard will again be associated first of all with devotion to the state, with patriotism, with the best qualities inherent in border defenders. That is why we have chosen the slogan for the next year – “THE FIRST AND HONORED ONES”. What I really want is that border guards should be the foremost and honored in our country,” Head of the Border Agency Serhii Deineko said.