Two committees are in the focus this day:
Committee on Construction, Urban Development, Housing and Communal Services
The committee held a sitting on scrutinizing financial obligations of the state budget before heating and water supply enterprises in 2017.
According to the information from the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine and the branch-wise associations, there is a more than acute need in setting off the tariff differences, including paying-off the penalties (fines and surcharges) charged by the NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine. Inability to utilize this year state budget subvention because of the NKREKP’s poor performance was also pointed out.
Upon consideration of the finance issues, the committee came to a decision to appeal to the Prime Minister of Ukraine V.Hroisman for undertaking as follows:
- To immediately remit the state subventions allocated to cover the existing backlog of benefits and subsidies,
- By the end of the current year, to provide financing to cover the VAT tax and profit tax payables of public utility companies,
- To step up state funding for the State potable water programme by UAH 2.4 billion, and for the Energy efficiency programme by UAH 2.2 billion both to enhance and upgrade heating and water supply networks, and advance commercial accounting in apartment houses.
The bills under No.1346, 7059, 7213, 7229 were considered at the sitting, too.
In view of the above, the committee has prepared a set of recommendations as follows:
- for the Parliament – to decline the first reading bill No.1346,
- for the Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety – to send to the Parliament a motion on taking the first reading bill No.7059 regarding the law of Ukraine on energy ombudsman,
- for the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy -- to send to the Parliament a motion on taking the first reading bill No.7213 on special water-use rental payments (with amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine),
- for the Committee on Environmental Policy, Nature Resources Utilization and Elimination of the Consequences of Chornobyl Catastrophe -- to send to the Parliament a motion for returning the bill No.7229 on additional forests preservation guarantees to modification.
Committee on Culture and Spirituality
The committee head Mykola Kniazhytskyi met with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier.
The parties had an ample and thorough debate on legal regulations of the language policy in Ukraine. The head of the Committee on Culture and Spirituality delivered an overview of the committee’s activities in the realm of establishing the Ukrainian language as the language of state. He also stated the language legislation had been and was being elaborated with a close hand and under a keen eye of the national minorities and international organizations' representatives.
In his turn, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier confirmed his commitment to further productive collaboration with the Committee on Culture and Spirituality.
Lamberto Zannier
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
Ambassador Lamberto Zannier of Italy took up the mandate of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities on 19 July 2017, succeeding Ambassador Astrid Thors of Finland. Before taking up the position as High Commissioner, Zannier was OSCE Secretary General during two consecutive three-year terms, from 1 July 2011 until 30 June 2017.
Previously,
he served in Rome, Abu Dhabi and Vienna, mainly specializing in multilateral
and security affairs. He has authored several publications on security,
conflict prevention and crisis management issues.
He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, the Advisory Board of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and the EU ISS Board of Directors. He is currently President of the Centre for International Negotiation and Mediation of the University of Gorizia, Italy. Zannier holds a law degree and an honorary degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste, Italy. He was awarded the distinction of Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for services to the Republic of Austria and Grand Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau by the Government of the Netherlands.