The Restoration Service in Lviv Region has officially cancelled the procurement of a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV worth 4.26 million hryvnias. The decision was made against the backdrop of public resonance caused by a journalistic investigation that drew attention to the disproportionate spending of regional structures on transport. At the same time, other similar tenders for the purchase of expensive cars in institutions subordinate to the Restoration Agency across the country were also cancelled.
Cancellation of Procurement in Lviv Region
According to RBC-Ukraine, based on a publication by Ivan Fedorov, Head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development, the car will be returned to the dealer, and the 4.26 million hryvnias will be transferred back to the regional service's account. Thus, budget funds that should have been directed toward infrastructure reconstruction will not be spent on officials' personal transport.
Management Reaction and Personnel Decisions
In his statement, Ivan Fedorov expressed solidarity with public outrage and thanked journalists for drawing attention to the situation. At his direction, inspections have been launched in institutions subordinate to the Restoration Agency. The head of the agency stressed that relevant personnel decisions have already been made, indicating disciplinary consequences for responsible officials who allowed the organization of targeted-misuse procurement.
Moratorium on Premium Cars
A moratorium on the purchase of premium cars has been introduced within the Restoration Agency system. Emphasizing personal responsibility for the work of the entire structure, Fedorov stated that budget funds must be directed to the real needs of the population, infrastructure protection, and the country's recovery. The introduced restriction is systemic in nature and applies to all subordinate institutions, eliminating the possibility of such procurements at the level of individual regional services.
Problematic Tenders in Kharkiv Region
In addition to Lviv Region, similar "problematic" tenders were discovered in the Restoration Service of Kharkiv Region. There, local officials planned to purchase a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado worth nearly 3 million hryvnias. By order of Ivan Fedorov, this tender was also cancelled. Both cases—in Lviv and Kharkiv regions—demonstrate a systemic problem that, prior to the reform, allowed the purchase of expensive transport at the expense of state funds intended for recovery works.
Context: Reform of the Procurement System
The introduced restrictions are part of a broader reform of the Restoration Agency's procurement activities. Earlier, Ivan Fedorov had already announced changes to the procedure for holding tenders and controlling budget spending. The scandal involving the Toyota Land Cruiser became a pretext for accelerating the implementation of new mechanisms and strengthening responsibility at all levels of subordinate structures. The moratorium on premium cars is essentially fixed as a temporary but strict norm until the criteria for permissible procurements in the restoration system are completely overhauled.
