Reform of the Forestry Sector in 2023 Led to Record Incomes for State Forestry Enterprise Heads in Volyn and Rivne Regions

The reform of the forestry sector, launched in 2023, significantly altered the management structure of Ukraine's forests. In the Volyn and Rivne regions, its impact is particularly evident in the realm of incomes: a new group of individuals with million-hryvnia annual earnings has emerged among the heads of state enterprises. The Center for Investigative Journalism "Strength of Truth" analyzed the publicly disclosed declarations of directors of forestry branch offices, confirming record salary levels in this sector.

According to the results of this investigation, in 2023, the heads of forestry offices in Volyn and Rivne regions received over four million hryvnias in salaries. Considering the level of inflation, these figures are among the highest for managers of state-owned enterprises. Some heads of local branches earned between half a million and over 1.5 million hryvnias in just one year. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years, when such amounts were considered exceptional in the public sector.

An important aspect of this situation is the accountability of officials. Thanks to open access to electronic declarations, the public can see the real state of salaries in the forestry sector. The investigation shows that the new reform not only changed structural approaches to management but also significantly raised the standards of material provision for managerial staff.

Thus, the reform of the forestry sector has brought to the forefront questions about the efficiency of state fund allocation and the need for control over managers' incomes. At the same time, society has gained tools to monitor these processes, enhancing transparency and accountability in a sector that has traditionally remained "in the shadows" of large financial flows.