The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers appointed Yevhen Kravtsov as the board chairman of the Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) at a meeting on Thursday, January 10, the CFTS portal reports.
Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said that the supervisory board of Ukrzaliznytsia made a decision that allowed the Cabinet of Ministers to consider concluding a contract with Kravtsov as the new board chairman of the company.
Groysman drew Kravtsov’s attention to the need to develop and modernize the country’s railway infrastructure, electrify rail tracks, and upgrade railway rolling stock.
“The global task is to transport everything that is produced on the domestic market. We need better service from Ukrzaliznytsia. We are giving Yevhen Kravtsov the mandate to assemble a professional board,” said Groysman.
Before the appointment of Kravtsov, the chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia’s supervisory board, Sevki Acuner, said that the supervisory board chose Kravtsov as the candidate for the post of board chairman based on the recommendations of an external consultant. Acuner welcomed the government’s decision to appoint Kravtsov and expressed the hope that Ukrzaliznytsia’s development strategy would be approved as soon as possible and implemented through the joint efforts of the company’s supervisory board and board of directors.
During the government meeting, Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelian welcomed Kravtsov’s candidacy and drew attention to the need to approve Ukrzaliznytsia’s strategy. “I hope that we will receive it in February,” the minister said.
Kravtsov has headed the company since August 9, 2017, when he was appointed as its acting board chairman following the dismissal of the previous board chairman, Wojciech Balczun. At the time of his appointment, Kravtsov held the positions of First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and the head of Ukrzaliznytsia’s supervisory board.
As reported earlier, Ukrzaliznytsia’s new supervisory board was approved on June 20, 2018. The new supervisory board began work on July 17. Acuner, who previously headed the EBRD’s office in Ukraine, was elected as the head of the new supervisory board.
