Chapter 2. Observing economic rights OBSERVING ECONOMIC RIGHTS 55 In 2019, the Commissioner received 3,035 reports/appeals from citizens, conducted 88 monitoring visits and inspections of observance of human rights and freedoms of citizens that revealed systemic violations of economic rights of citizens. It was established that the local self-government bodies restrict the citizens’ rights to land by defining certain conditions of acquiring ownership of land, which is not provided by the effective legislation. The rights of citizens to housing are violated as a result of failure to reconstruct and overhaul the worn-out housing stock. The problem of environmental degradation is urgent. Local governments and businesses that are required to take waste management measures and ensure that citizens have access to quality drinking water carry out such actions with many violations or do not take them at all. The Commissioner established a violation of the rights of private entrepreneurs (hereinafter referred to as FOP) as they are obliged to pay a single contribution to compulsory state social insurance for a period in which they did not carry out business activities and did not actually receive income. Such national policy has led to a mass termination of activities of FOPs (over 300,000 FOPs decided to close their businesses only in the three months of 2017). During the exercise of her powers of parliamentary oversight over the observance of the constitutional rights and freedoms of person and citizen, the Commissioner identified numerous facts of consumer rights violations, a considerable part of which take place in the sector of financial services. A striking example is the complaints about the activity of debt recovery companies that sometimes resort to neglect of human dignity, invasion of privacy, which violate the rights and freedoms protected by the Constitution. Yet another critical issue is protection of the rights of consumers of transport services. Violation of the legislation by drivers of vehicles certainly endangers the life and health of citizens. Therefore, analysis of current situation with observance and protection of economic rights reveals a number of problems, in particular the imperfection of the mechanism of their realization and proper legal protection. Given that they relate to the fundamental areas of human life, and are reflective of human freedoms in the economic and social sectors, their provision and protection should be a priority for the government. 2019 3,035 reports of citizens 88 monitoring visits CHAPTER 2 As Ukraine progresses towards sustainable development and European integration, dynamic economic and social reforms were implemented in 2019. Given that the Constitution of Ukraine proclaims state responsibility before the individual for the state activity, the public authorities are obliged to provide opportunities for the person and the citizen to exercise their rights in the area of property, business, housing, safe environment and consumption, to protect people from the consequences of financial and economic or political crisis.