Mykolaiv Executive Committee allocated millions for a children's camp with complaints about unsanitary conditions

The executive committee of Mykolaiv City Council has allocated more than UAH 12 million for children's recreation to a Dnipro-based company with an agricultural background without competition. The children are to be accommodated in a camp near Synevyr, which had previously been complained about because of the conditions, food, and staff.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension.

Mykolaiv Executive Committee has signed an agreement for more than UAH 12 million to organize recreation for children in need of special social attention and support. The only bidder was Dnipro-based Agrotransgroup LLC, which received the contract without any price reduction.

According to the terms of the procurement, the company has to provide almost 8,000 days of vacation in Zakarpattia. If we count the two-week shifts, 568 children should receive vouchers, and the cost of a vacation for one child exceeds 21 thousand hryvnias. The amount includes accommodation, meals, and travel.

The children will be accommodated in a complex near Lake Synevyr, which Agrotransgroup has been leasing since 2022. The company officially pays only UAH 60,000 per month for more than 20,000 square meters of space. At the same time, the company itself has received more than UAH 125 million in budget contracts throughout Ukraine in recent years, although until 2020 it specialized mainly in agribusiness.

The investigation also draws attention to the company's ties to former officials and former Lviv Regional Council member Mykhailo Tytykal. Shayany LLC, which is affiliated with the owners, also regularly receives budget contracts for children's recreation in different regions of the country.

Despite the positive reviews of Synevyr Camp, there are numerous complaints about the camp online. Users have reported unsanitary conditions, cold food, rude attitudes of staff, and problems with medical care for children. Some parents reported threats to their children after complaining about the living conditions.

Also in May, a procurement for the construction of premises for the Academy of Children's Creativity in Mykolaiv ended without a trial. After several changes of position, the prosecutor's office eventually dropped its claims against the contractor and the utility company, despite the AMCU's finding of an anti-competitive conspiracy.

Анна Бальчінос