Education ministry launches probe into textbook price scandal
Source: Ukraine’s ministry of education
Ukraine’s education ministry officials are left blushing after media reports made them revoke the state contracts that could see the ministry buy textbooks for schools at inflated prices. The probe focuses on the Institute of Modernization of Education Content, which avoided regular tender procedures to award lavish books contracts to Kharkiv’s Atlant publishing house.
According to the ministry, the institute is now under scrutiny following a public outcry over the pricing scandal.
“We have received information that the Institute of Modernization of Education Content, which is responsible for organizing expert evaluations and purchasing textbooks, signed an agreement to purchase textbooks at an inflated price. We strictly adhere to anti-corruption principles, and we are grateful to the media representatives for drawing attention to possible violations. We will definitely report on the results of the service investigation,” the ministry said in a statement on social media.
Recent revelations by NGL.Media found that the Institute signed 83 contracts with Atlant for nearly 163 million hryvnias without competitive bidding. Comparisons with other printing houses prices suggest that Atlant’s pricing was double the market rate. -Atlant charged 455 hryvnias for prining a copy of the textbook that would normally cost 109 hryvnias at most.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).
In just 1.5 months, Ukrainian specialists have created an innovative protective shell for the control modules of anti-aircraft missile systems (AMS) Patriot and Iris-T SLM. This development was another step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, aimed at protecting key elements of the air defense system from debris damage.
Military serviceman of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine with the call sign “Paradox” is the crew commander of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. He is a master at using it and is constantly improving, because the legionnaire’s skills are tested every day in battle. You have to drive to the front lines, often under artillery fire and drone attacks.
Notorious supporter of the concept “in order for a cow to eat less and give more milk, it needs to be fed less and milked more” “Servant of the People” Danylo Hetmantsev, under the guise of “business requirements”, registered a draft law on the collection of VAT on all foreign purchases, regardless of their value. In other words, every Ukrainian, buying goods of any value and purpose abroad, when sending them to Ukraine, will have to pay an additional fifth part, or 20% of the cost of the goods.