Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, hinted at a potential new agency to slash spending and red tape much like billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”
Fedorov assumed the position of first deputy prime minister on Thursday following the latest government shakeup.
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On Friday, Fedorov wrote on Threads that he plans to launch a DOGE-like agency in Ukraine “for several projects” to “reduce costs and evaluate efficiency.”
“I plan to launch a DOGE analog for several projects. I urgently need to reduce costs and evaluate efficiency,” Fedorov wrote, adding that he is already looking for a person to head the proposed agency.
Fedorov did not specify the projects he would be targeting.
Fedorov, who assumed the role of digital transformation minister in 2019, has been championing the country’s digitalization process – including the introduction of e-government portal Diia – to some applause.
But the latest proposal has already been met with some criticism from internet users.
“This name is not very successful and the result of the program is also not very successful)),” one user wrote in response.
To say that DOGE is controversial would be an understatement.
The agency has been under fire for its secretive, law‑skirting operations and aggressive cost‑cutting measures, prompting a US judge to rule in March that the agency should release records “about its structure and activities” given the “secrecy with which (DOGE) has operated.”
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The agency, in the name of slashing government expenditure, has triggered mass layoffs, service disruptions, and legal challenges over unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The cost-cutting drive has, both directly and indirectly, resulted in the closure of programs supporting Ukraine – such as those focused on energy and funding for free, independent media worldwide.