Orest Mandziy has been appointed head of the State Customs Service: the government has appointed a new head of customs
The appointment was announced by Yulia Svyrydenko. The selection process and the shortlisted candidates were finalised at the end of March.
The appointment of Orest Mandziya marked the conclusion of an open competition for the post of Head of the State Customs Service, which the government launched as part of the customs service’s restructuring. At the end of March, the selection committee identified two finalists — Ruslan Damentsev and Orest Mandziy. Both were working at the NABU at the time, and the final decision was to be made by the Cabinet of Ministers upon the recommendation of the Minister of Finance.
Prior to his appointment, Mandziy headed the sixth detective unit at NABU. According to open sources regarding the competition, he has worked at the Bureau since 2017, and prior to that served for many years in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Police.
The competition itself was part of a broader customs reform. Suspilne reported that the selection was conducted with the participation of Ukrainian and international members of the commission, and its aim was to increase transparency within the customs service, strengthen the fight against corruption, and fulfil Ukraine’s obligations to its international partners.
The appointment of the new customs chief was a sensitive issue, not least because of the service’s reputation. ZAXID.NET noted that customs is traditionally regarded as one of the most corrupt agencies, and reform in this area was one of the conditions for international funding and further changes in the sector.
This is precisely why Svyrydenko’s statement emphasised not only the appointment itself, but also what the government expects next: the continuation of reform, the establishment of a modern customs system, and the strengthening of the service’s institutional capacity. In essence, this presents the new head with a very simple test: will he be able to turn this competitive appointment into real change for a customs service that has for years remained one of the most problematic areas of the state system?
As a reminder, 38 candidates were shortlisted for the post of head of the State Customs Service
