Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Dmitry Shymkiv has called on law enforcement and fiscal agencies to stop pressuring IT companies, describing such pressure as inadmissible in the current economic and political situation in the country, he wrote in an op-ed article in the Ukrainska Pravda publication on Wednesday.

"Before the investment forum in Berlin where the government will present Ukraine's investment potential, checks and 'mask shows' of IT companies destroy the investment attractiveness and innovative sector of the state," he wrote.

He said that Ukraine is facing Russian aggression which influences the attraction of customers to the country and its export potential. He said that many countries are using large funds to secure Ukrainian talent and the pressure on the sector only accelerates these negative processes.

Shymkiv said that representatives of the IT sector were the driving power of Maidan, they continue to help the army, and many innovative projects in the country, such as 3G, PROZORRO, the electronic petition system, were possible thanks to representatives of this sector.

"We hear the recognition of achievements of Ukrainian specialists on the global arena and we pay no respect at home. Hen that brings golden eggs must not be killed! Even if it seems to someone that the eggs are not enough. There are many countries that would give a lot to receive a small percentage of that human capital that Ukraine has," he said.

Shymkiv believes that the checks, if they are required, could be carried out in an e-format.

"This is destruction of many months, and sometimes many years of high-intellectual work," he said.

He said that several large investors are mulling the possibility of investing into Ukraine, and this state of affairs in the sector will not help the process.

"I call on law enforcement and fiscal agencies to stop, start behaving in a predictable and civilized way in those cases when it is necessary to fulfill duties, especially in this sensitive industry. I call on representatives of the innovative sector to unite and send a loud signal if these actions continue," he said.