ODESSA/KIEV: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has ended funding for a flagship customs reform project in Ukraine’s Odessa region, as the government’s ambitious plans to tackle bribe taking at its Black Sea ports stalled.
USAID and other institutions have supported Kiev’s Western-backed government, which took power after the 2014 Maidan street protests, to fight endemic corruption and put an economy battered by an ongoing separatist war back on its feet.
But the saga around Odessa customs underscored what critics of the government say is its patchy record of delivering change.
Yulia Marushevska, a young Maidan activist with no prior civil service experience, was appointed to head Odessa customs in 2015. She quit in November, saying there was no real political will to support her reforms.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president who was parachuted in to become governor of Odessa, accused Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the government of sabotaging reforms. Poroshenko’s office said Saakashvili was deflecting blame for his own failures.
A USAID official, who did not want to be named, said Odessa had some early successes, such as introducing a single window clearance system at the customs, and stressed that feedback from businesses and regional officials had been positive.
“As the situation in Odessa changed and it became apparent that there was no clear way forward for continuing our partnership with Odessa Customs, the program was concluded,” the official told Reuters.
Marushevska told Reuters that officials with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo blocked her changes, such as her attempts to fire corrupt officials and build a new customs terminal operating with computers provided by USAID.
“USAID is in the process of reclaiming the computers that have not been used and will redistribute them to other USAID projects and partners in support of Ukraine’s reform process,” the USAID official said.
Roman Nasirov, the head of the Fiscal Service and Marushevska’s erstwhile boss, questions whether she brought meaningful reforms. Nasirov told Reuters he had launched an investigation into Marushevska, suspecting her of deliberately undervaluing cargo.
Marushevska said on Facebook the allegations were politically motivated.
Seeking investments
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday tried to bring in foreign investment and slash corruption by temporarily banning the tax police from conducting unannounced checks on companies’ operations.
The measure is also supposed to let small businesses thrive by letting them stay open without any inspections for three years.
Ukraine’s tax police and other inspection authorities are notorious for accepting bribes as a reward for letting companies stay in business after committing minor — or even made-up — violations.
An improvement in the cash-strapped and war-torn country’s business climate has been a constant demand wrapped into a $17.5-billion rescue package approved by the International Monetary Fund last year.
The second measure is already in effect while the battle to reign in the billionaires is taking more time.
The law adopted on Friday moves one step further by putting tough curbs on the powers of the tax police.
Poroshenko said the tax authorities would no longer be investigative but rather “consultative” in nature.
That means companies will be able to turn to them with questions but no longer have to open up their books during spot inspections.
USAID ends funding for Ukraine customs reform
USAID ends funding for Ukraine customs reform
Using space science to protect Saudi Arabia’s environment
- Kingdom is harnessing satellite technology to forecast disasters, boost agriculture
RIYADH: Learning space science has delivered significant environmental benefits worldwide, helping many countries better understand and manage climate challenges.
Saudi Arabia is now taking steps not only to explore the galaxy but also to invest in future generations who can apply space science to pressing environmental issues at home.
Last November, the Space Academy, part of the Saudi Space Agency, launched a series of seminars designed to enhance knowledge and develop skills in space science and technology, with a particular focus on Earth observation.
Running for nearly a month, the program formed part of a broader strategy to nurture national talent, raise scientific awareness, and build data capabilities that support innovation and research across the Kingdom.
As efforts to strengthen the sector continue, important questions remain: How can space science translate into tangible environmental benefits? And how large is the global space economy?
In an interview with Arab News, Fahad Alhussain, co-founder of SeedFord, highlighted the scale of the opportunity and its environmental impact.
“To be frank, the slogan that we always use in space is that ‘saving the Earth from the space.’ It is all about this,” Alhusain told Arab News.
“You can recall a lot of related environmental issues like global warming, related to forests, related to the damage that happens to the environment. Without space, it would be almost impossible to see the magnitude of these damages.”
According to Alhussain, satellites have transformed how experts observe environmental changes on Earth, offering a comprehensive view that was previously impossible.
He said that “the transformation of technology allows even the non-optical ways of measuring, assessing, and discovering what is going on in the environment … you can even anticipate fire before it happens in the forest.”
“You can detect the ice-melt down, you can get huge amount of information and can see it through the weather maps…there is a huge section in the economy for the environment,” Alhussain commented.
A 2022 report by Ryan Brukardt, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, published by McKinsey Quarterly, found that more than 160 satellites currently monitor Earth to assess the impacts of global warming and detect activities such as illegal logging.
Brukardt cited NASA as an example of how advanced satellite tools are used to track environmental changes, including shifts in ocean conditions, cloud cover, and precipitation patterns. He also noted that satellite data can help governments determine when immediate action is needed, particularly in response to wildfires.
FASTFACT
Did You Know?
- Satellites collect massive amounts of data, and AI is used to help interpret this information more efficiently and predict future outcomes.
- The global space economy surpassed $600 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030.
- Saudi Arabia has established three key entities: the Supreme Space Council, the Saudi Space Agency, and the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission.
Beyond disaster response, satellites offer vital insights for agriculture. According to Brukardt’s report, scientists can use space-based data to monitor crop development and anticipate threats to harvests, such as drought or insect infestations.
These wide-ranging applications explain the rapid growth of the global space economy.
According to World Economic Forum research, the sector is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, nearly tripling from $630 billion in 2023.
For Saudi Arabia, expanding space science capabilities could help address the country’s arid conditions by monitoring desertification and identifying sources of air pollution. Early detection of droughts, heatwaves, and crop stress could support more effective environmental planning and response.
Space-based data could also play a critical role in tracking environmental changes in the Red Sea and surrounding coastal ecosystems, strengthening marine conservation efforts and supporting the Sustainable Development Agenda.
As Alhussain emphasized, advancing knowledge in space science and satellite technology enables experts to measure environmental damage accurately and predict disasters before they occur, allowing for more effective responses.
By investing in space science education and research, the Kingdom can build national expertise, strengthen environmental protection policies, enhance food and water security, and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change—while also benefiting from the rapidly expanding space economy.
Ultimately, a deeper understanding of space and its applications offers Saudi Arabia, and the world, better tools to anticipate climate challenges, protect ecosystems, and safeguard biodiversity.
“By collecting data and using satellites, you can better analyze and measure so many things that help the environment,” said Alhussain.
“There will be patterns where you can warn people, scientists and decision makers to do something about it.”
