Collective Push

Despite the permanent brain drain seeping out of our country, the vibrant Ukrainian IT sector is often called a driver of future economic growth. Even in the recent turmoil it is one of the very few sectors that have managed to stay afloat and actually, showed a positive performance in 2014.

Clearly, the unfavorable regulatory burden, coupled with poor IP protection, keep investors away from a potentially lucrative market. On the wave of a general boom of initiatives from business, IT actors have started to actively point out red flags for such anticipated changes.

With success stories in Estonia and Georgia in mind, huge impetus for sectoral development should be given through e-government reforms. And it seems as if the new people in power (though some of them are not really new!) comprehend that this is a critical time to convert declarations into realities.

In the past year we observed unrivaled voluntarily legislative activity from IT lawyers. But now to what is important! There is no problem in drafting high quality pieces of legislation, but to lobby at least its admission for consideration. And this is a big warning sign for IT tops who enter the Parliament with the aim of pushing reforms from within. It appears that the “system” is resisting any profound revamping of the “rules of the game”, and needs a collective push.

Our first issue of 2015 begins with a fantastic and inspired conversation with IT lawyers. What is relevant for foreign experience is represented by the vision present in the reform of Estonian judicial proceedings. Questionable strategies present in contemporary reformers are considered in light of the last, but certainly not least, changes to the country’s tax legislation.

Happy reading,

Olga Usenko