Anatoliy Semynoha, The Committee Chairman, placed special emphasis on the priority of environmental protection in today´s high-tech society, which therefore requires increasingly greater attention, and outlined the primary tasks which must be urgently addressed.
The Committee resolved to uphold the Bill on The State Budget of Ukraine 2008 and Amendments to Several Legislative Acts of Ukraine, at the First Reading. At the same time, the Committee unquestionably insists on the removal of Clause 29, Part 2 of the Bill, in respect of amendments to the Law 'On the Status and Social Protection of Individuals who suffered from the Chornobyl Disaster Aftermath'. These amendments, according to The People's Deputies, are totally destroying the social protection of Chornobyl victims, and limiting their social guarantees. For instance, The Cabinet of Ministers is entitled to establish the size of social benefits, together with the payment procedure, by its resolutions. 'This is absolutely unfounded, since the Law 'On the Status and Social Protection of Individuals, who suffered from the Chornobyl Disaster Aftermath' is a direct action provision, and therefore all benefits, compensation, social benefits and their size, should be directly spelt out within the Law,' stated the Committee members..
The Committee also suggests that Health improvement of those who suffered from the aftermath of the Chornobyl Disaster be paid for from inter-budget transfers between the State and Local Budgets. Experience has demonstrated this to be a more efficient method than the centralized administration of health improvement at a Ministerial level, said the People's Deputies.
The Committee Members stressed the demand for increased expenditure towards 'Provisions for the setting up and protection of a nature conservation fund, maintenance of flora and fauna cadastres, and The Red Data Book', ' Environmental Protection Management and Control', and 'Extension of Facilities and Devices for Hydrometeorological Observation and Forecasting on Rivers and Basins'.