Oleksiy Honcharuk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oleksiy Honcharuk
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Олексій Гончарук
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Honcharuk in 2019
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| 17th Prime Minister of Ukraine | |
| In office 29 August 2019 – 4 March 2020 |
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| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Preceded by | Volodymyr Groysman |
| Succeeded by | Denys Shmyhal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 July 1984 Zhmerynka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Alma mater | National Academy for Public Administration Kyiv Mohyla Business School Aspen Institute |
| Profession | lawyer |
Oleksiy Honcharuk (born 7 July 1984) is a Ukrainian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Ukraine from August 29, 2019, to March 4, 2020. He became Prime Minister after a big win in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Honcharuk was a lawyer. He also worked as a deputy head in the office of Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At 35 years old, he was the youngest Prime Minister in Ukraine's history.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Family Background
Oleksiy Honcharuk was born on July 7, 1984, in Zhmerynka, Ukraine. Some sources say he was born in Horodnia, where he finished school.
His father, Valeriy, was a politician who passed away in 2003. Oleksiy later said his father's death made him want to improve emergency medical services in Ukraine.
His mother, Tetiana, is a doctor. She moved to Italy when Oleksiy was 16. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked in a hospital near Milan. Oleksiy also has a younger brother.
School and University
Honcharuk studied at the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management from 2001 to 2006. In 2006, he earned a master's degree in Public Administration. He also studied at the Aspen Institute in Kyiv and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.
Starting His Career
From 2005, Honcharuk worked as a lawyer. He led legal departments in different companies. He has over ten years of experience in law.
In 2008, he started his own law firm called Constructive Lawyers. This firm helped people with legal issues related to investing and building real estate.
Later, Honcharuk became a lead partner at a company focusing on real estate development. In 2009, he became the head of two non-government groups that helped investors.
Early Political Steps
First Election and Advisory Roles
In 2014, Honcharuk tried to become a member of parliament for the Power of the People party, but he was not elected. After that, he became an advisor to the ecology minister and the First Vice Prime Minister.
In 2015, with help from Canada and the European Union, an office called BRDO was created. This office aimed to make government rules simpler for businesses. Honcharuk became the leader of BRDO.
Leading BRDO
Under Honcharuk's leadership, BRDO worked to remove old and unnecessary rules for businesses. They successfully got rid of about 1,000 old rules. They also helped approve over 50 decisions that supported businesses.
BRDO also started reforms to how government bodies regulate businesses. They created useful online tools, like a guide for starting a business. They also made a portal to check how funds were being used.
In 2016, Honcharuk became an advisor again to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Development.
Joining the President's Team
On May 28, 2019, Honcharuk was appointed Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. In this role, he was in charge of economic development and continuing reforms.
He was also a member of important councils, including the National Council of Reforms and the National Investment Council of Ukraine.
During his time in the President's Office, Honcharuk worked on reforms to make it easier to do business. He also aimed to improve the investment climate and open up the land market. These efforts led to several important decisions.
For example, he worked on stopping illegal takeovers of businesses and fighting smuggling. He also pushed for better roads and more internet access across the country. He helped remove an old rule about notary services, making them simpler.
Honcharuk also led a review of old presidential decisions. This led to 160 outdated rules being removed. These rules had made it harder for businesses to work and created extra paperwork.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
On August 29, 2019, President Zelenskyy suggested Honcharuk for the role of Prime Minister. The Ukrainian parliament, called the Verkhovna Rada, easily approved him with 290 votes.
Many international experts and news outlets welcomed Honcharuk's appointment. They noted his young age, his hard work, and his promises to help Ukraine's economy grow quickly.
Honcharuk was the youngest Prime Minister in Ukraine's history at 35. Before him, Volodymyr Groysman was the youngest at 38. Honcharuk had only three months of government experience before becoming Prime Minister.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, praised Honcharuk's government. He said their reform plans were ambitious and had made great progress in five months.
Economic Reforms
In September 2019, Honcharuk's government presented its plan to the parliament. This plan was approved on October 4, 2019. It was the first government plan with clear goals and deadlines for ministers.
Honcharuk worked to change the State Geocadastre, which manages land. He removed many regional leaders. His goals were to create a digital map of Ukraine's land and resources. He also wanted to list all land to prepare for opening the land market. These efforts helped the parliament pass a historic land reform law in March 2020.
Under Honcharuk, the government started the biggest privatization process since Ukraine became independent. They moved over 1,000 state-owned companies that were losing money to the State Property Fund. This was ten times more than in the previous ten years. This allowed the fund to sell a large hotel in Kyiv for a record amount in July 2020.
His government also separated Naftogaz, a large energy company, into different parts. This took four months. This decision helped Ukraine sign a new gas transportation contract with Russia and the European Union in December 2019. This contract was good for Ukraine.
For the first time, the government also used a public-private partnership system. They allowed private companies to manage two seaports, Olvia and Kherson. They also prepared 12 other facilities for similar partnerships.
Financial Stability
In October 2019, Honcharuk's government and the National Bank of Ukraine agreed to work together. Their goal was to achieve steady economic growth and stable prices.
This agreement helped Ukraine issue Eurobonds in January 2020. These were loans from other countries with the lowest interest rates in Ukraine's history. Ukraine raised 1.25 billion euros to help fund the state budget.
To support small businesses, Honcharuk's government launched a program for cheap loans. This program worked with leading state-owned banks.
Honcharuk also focused on emergency medical services. He set aside ₴6 billion in the 2020 budget. The goal was to provide good equipment to 200 emergency departments across Ukraine.
Fighting Corruption
Honcharuk's government had no tolerance for corruption. In October 2019, they began to completely restart the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. In January 2020, a new head was appointed to the agency.
The government replaced managers at most state-owned companies who were linked to corruption. They also started an Anti-Raid Office with the Ministry of Justice. This office helps businesses that are attacked within 24 hours.
Working with law enforcement, the government fought against illegal markets. They closed over 500 illegal gas stations and gambling places. In just one day, police closed more than 5,500 illegal gambling spots across Ukraine.
Resignation
In January 2020, recordings appeared online where a voice similar to Honcharuk's criticized President Zelenskyy's understanding of economics. Honcharuk offered to resign. President Zelenskyy did not accept it at first, saying it was not the right time to weaken the country.
However, in March 2020, Zelenskyy suggested big changes to the government, including a new prime minister. On March 4, 2020, Honcharuk's government was replaced by the Shmyhal Government.
After Being Prime Minister
In his first interview after resigning, Honcharuk said he would stay involved in politics. He plans to keep working to promote reforms in Ukraine.
In August 2020, the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Centre announced that Honcharuk would join them as a special fellow. In September 2020, Honcharuk went to the United States. He said he wanted to help improve American policy on Ukraine and the relationship between Ukraine and the United States.
Images for kids
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Honcharuk in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Oleksiy Honcharuk para niños
