DIGITALISATION OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AS A TOOL FOR ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND COMBATING CORRUPTION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive study of the process of digitisation of public procurement and state registers in the context of modernising the public administration system. The author aimed to analyse the historical stages of the development of digital tools, determine their impact on reducing corruption risks and increasing transparency, and assess the prospects for their further development in Ukraine and worldwide. The paper traces how the emergence of electronic platforms in developed countries and their gradual introduction in Central and Eastern Europe created the preconditions for systemic reforms. Particular attention is paid to the Ukrainian experience, where the key result was the creation of the Prozorro system, which combined the principles of open data, multi-level interaction and competition among participants. The architecture and mechanisms of electronic platforms, in particular Prozorro, which ensure standardisation of procedures, open access to data and the possibility of public control, are examined. It is shown that such innovations have become not only technical tools, but also elements of institutional reform aimed at increasing the legitimacy of public policy. The role of electronic state registers as instruments of transparency and accountability was studied. It was found that they create a single information space, enable independent monitoring of the activities of public authorities, contribute to the fight against fictitious entrepreneurship and corruption schemes, and strengthen Ukraine's integration into the European legal field. The study confirmed that digitalisation can significantly reduce abuse through the automation of procedures, the algorithmisation of decision-making, and the formation of a new culture of transparency. The importance of digital tools for the development of public control and the strengthening of public trust in institutions was emphasised separately. At the same time, the article identifies a number of problems and limitations, including uneven infrastructure development, low digital literacy, cyber threats, and legal gaps. On this basis, prospects for further research related to the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain in public administration and the expansion of international cooperation in the field of digitalisation are identified.