Plenary week of the second session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation ended on Friday, February 13.

Having opened the morning meeting, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groysman informed about an official visit of the parliamentary delegation of the Saeima of Latvia led by Speaker Inara Murniece.

MPs welcomed the guests with applause. 

The Chairperson informed that Cabinet of Ministers members are present in the session hall. Minister of Social Policy Pavlo Rozenko, First Deputy Minister of Finance Ihor Umanskyi and other Cabinet of Ministers members answered deputies' questions.

At the beginning of the Government Question Hour, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin informed about results of Minsk negotiations. He focused on several important moments.

He also informed that yesterday the President of Ukraine spoke to the European Council and informed them in detail about the negotiations and the agreements reached in Minsk.

Then, the Chairperson gave the floor to Minister of Social Policy Pavlo Rozenko who answered questions of the factions. The questions concerned reasons for increasing salary arrears, pensions and social payments to citizens of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, and subsidies for consuming natural gas and housing and utilities.

Next, First Deputy Minister of Finance Ihor Umanskyi started answering the questions. He said that most questions the Ministry received were about social policy, energy sector, etc.

Ihor Umanskyi informed about negotiations with the IMF. He said conditions for cooperation with IMF were approved. The Mission completed its work in Kyiv, but cooperation on agreeing the text and final version of the Letter of Intent, which Ukraine shall sign, still continues at technical level.

First Deputy Minister of Finance informed about elaboration of the bill on amendments to the law of Ukraine on the State Budget. According to him, this bill should be submitted prior to February 15 in line with the decision of the Verkhovna Rada.

Members of the Cabinet of Ministers responded to oral questions of the people’s deputies.

Government Question Hour came to an end.

Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroid announced deputy inquiries.

The people’s deputies considered two draft resolutions on amendments to the composition of parliamentary committees and establishment of composition of the Ad Hoc Supervisory Panel of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Privatization.

Following of the results of voting, draft resolutions registered under No. 2041 and No. 2042 were adopted in entirety.

The Verkhovna Rada approved the resolution on the Address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine re bringing to liability deputies of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol city council (Reg. No. 1842).

The draft law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine (re preparing, producing, distributing national books and periodicals of printed printed mass media) was reported by the people’s deputy Yurii Lutsenko.

The bill exempts from VAT operations on supplying and shipping national periodicals of printed mass media (except for erotic publications), preparing, producing, distributing books and digital content as well (except for erotic publications), notebooks and textbooks, dictionaries of national production at the customs territory of Ukraine.

The bill was adopted as a basis and in entirety by 235 votes.

The draft law on amendments to article 19 of the Law "On Militia" (re preserving financial and other assistance for militia workers who were captured, held hostages or gone missing), registered under No. 1706, was reported by the people’s deputy Andrii Teteruk.

The bill suggests preserving financial and other assistance for rank and file and commanding officers  of the internal affair bodies of Ukraine, military men and workers of the National Guard of Ukraine who were captured, held hostages or gone missing.

Chairperson of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Andrii Kozhemiakin reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.

Parliamentarians upheld the proposal of the specializing Committee by 238 votes.

The draft law on amendments to the law “On Militia” (re payment of one-time monetary allowance in case of death or mutilation of militia officer), registered under No. 1364, was reported by the people’s deputy Tetiana Chornovol.

Legislative act establishes a single approach to paying one-time monetary allowance to law-enforcers in case of death, injury (contusion, trauma or mutilation) or disability categorization. 

Chairperson of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Andrii Kozhemiakin reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis and in entirety.

Parliamentarians upheld the bill in entirety by 235 votes.

The draft law on amendments to article 22 of the Law “On Militia” re bringing it in line with the Labour Code of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1804) was reported by the people’s deputy Viktor Korol.

Chairperson of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Andrii Kozhemiakin reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis and in entirety.

Following the results of voting, the bill was rejected.

First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii announced deputy inquiries.

Andrii Parubii announced also establishment of the inert-faction deputy union “For spirituality, morality and health of Ukraine” in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The people’s deputy Pavlo Unhurian was elected chair of the union.

The people’s deputy took the floor with statements, announcements and proposals.

The Presiding adjourned plenary session.

The people’s deputies will work in the committees, commissions and factions on February 16 – 20, and with the electorate – on February 23 – 27.

Next plenary meeting of the second session will be held on Tuesday, March 3.