Tuesday21 January 2025
obkom.org.ua

"Mom's Eurointegration": The deputy head of ARMA is visiting regions instead of focusing on strengthening international cooperation.

Grigol Katamadze, appointed as the Deputy Head of ARMA for Eurointegration, is prioritizing asset inspections in the regions over international cooperation. Experts are questioning the effectiveness of this approach to utilizing management resources.
"Евроинтеграция от Мамки: замглавы АРМА путешествует по регионам, вместо того чтобы развивать международное сотрудничество."

The appointment of Grigol Katamadze as Deputy Chairman for Eurointegration at the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) was expected to be a significant move to enhance Ukraine's international cooperation in the management of seized assets. However, instead of focusing on his primary responsibilities, he is inspecting facilities in various regions. This shift in priorities raises questions about the management strategy of Elena Duma, as noted by UNN.

Details

When Grigol Katamadze took the position of Deputy Head of ARMA for Eurointegration, Elena Duma emphasized his diplomatic experience and ambitions to strengthen the agency's international engagement.

"Grigol Katamadze possesses international experience and a high diplomatic level, along with public, financial, and entrepreneurial expertise. Thus, I am confident that Grigol Shalvovich, a citizen of Ukraine and a true patriot, will represent Ukraine well on the international stage and enhance ARMA's cooperation with over 100 countries worldwide," the head of ARMA remarked on her Telegram channel.

However, instead of fulfilling his key role of enhancing international cooperation and drawing on the experience of European countries in asset management, Katamadze is performing tasks that could be assigned to local staff.

For instance, last week, Elena Duma reported that her Deputy for Eurointegration, Grigol Katamadze, personally inspected the assets of ex-MP traitor Viktor Medvedchuk in Lviv. Logically, his role should focus on international cooperation rather than traveling to regions to carry out tasks typically handled by local representatives or specialized professionals. ARMA has over 200 employees and regional offices, including the Western Interregional Office, which was also involved in the review. However, the agency sent one of its leaders to perform this task.

Earlier, in July, Grigol Katamadze visited Dnipropetrovsk region to inspect the TM "Ermolino" factory. He also inspected the "City Mall" shopping center in Zaporizhzhia in July.

This gives the impression that the head of ARMA, Elena Duma, lacks a clear plan for effectively utilizing the available resources and management staff. If the tasks related to Eurointegration are deemed secondary, it may be worth questioning the necessity of such a position altogether or considering a reassignment for Katamadze that aligns with his actual functions.

Given this, it becomes evident that ARMA needs to reassess its priorities and staffing policies. If Grigol Katamadze remains in his position, it is likely necessary for his activities to be directed toward achieving the stated goals rather than handling local tasks that could be delegated to others. Elena Duma must take responsibility for the effective use of resources to avoid squandering the potential of her subordinates.