05 May 2011, 11:36
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, appealed to Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov with a request to investigate the situation concerning compulsory paid publication of the information about the higher education establishments of Ukraine on the website involuntarily suggested to the leaders of higher education establishments by the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports.
M.Tomenko informed that according to mass media reports, rectors of Ukrainian higher education establishments received the letter from the Ministry of Education with a demand to sing the contract with "Imperia-Info" LLC, which owns the website www.osvita.org. This website was presented and recommended as an information partner of the Ministry of Education that covers the activity of the Ministry and informs about the higher education establishments of Ukraine.
The Deputy Chairman stressed that this situation looks like another financial fraud of the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports, as the owners of the website charge the rectors at UAH 7,5 thousand per quarter of a year for the publication of information about their education establishment. This sum totals UAH 30 thousand annually. M.Tomenko stated that according to the Ministry of Education, there are 693 state-financed public higher education establishments, so UAH 20 million 700 thousand a year to be paid for the publication of information about them is actually the money of taxpayers. Moreover, considering 854 higher education establishments with I-IV accreditation levels, "Imperia-Info" LLC might earn UAH 25 million 620 thousand annually.
"Given the late payments of scholarships and lack of financial support of the higher education establishments, the situation with the payments for services of the private internet-resource on demand of the Ministry of Education looks illegal, let alone cynical," admitted the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament.
M.Tomenko also addressed the General Prosecutor V.Pshonka with a request to investigate the situation concerning compulsory paid publication of the information about the higher education establishments of Ukraine on the website involuntarily suggested to the leaders of higher education establishments by the Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sports.