The meeting on the social security
of the Afghan war
veterans with the participation of the government
members and representatives of the non-governmental
organizations of Afghan
war veterans was held under the chairmanship of Volodymyr
Lytvyn, Head of the Ukrainian
Parliament, on Wednesday.
As it was reported, on 10 November, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met the representatives of the non-governmental organizations of Afghan war veterans who assembled at the Ukrainian Parliament appealing to the President, the Government and the Parliament of Ukraine with a request to restore social benefits for the war veterans.
On the initiative of the Head of the Ukrainian Parliament, it was agreed that the demands of the combatants would be discussed with the Cabinet of Ministers representatives in The Verkhovna Rada this week.
Representatives of the non-governmental organizations of Afghan war veterans offered their suggestions as to the improvement of the social security of the combatants, namely, amending of the applicable legislation, adoption of the targeted state program on housing for 2011-2016, amending of the Tax Code in part of preferential tax treatment.
Representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine invited the members of the non-governmental organizations of Afghan war veterans to take part in the working group involving the members of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Social Policy and Labour, the Ministry of Defence and the State Committee on Veterans of Ukraine.
Borys Andresiuk, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, reported that 1,5 thousand Afghan war veterans were serving military obligations or working in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 395 thousand veterans of military service and war veterans are staying in the healthcare and medical preventive institutions of the Ministry of Defence.
Fedir Yaroshenko,
Minister of Finance of Ukraine, declared that the Government had fulfilled its
obligations as to the improvement of the social standards, and would exert
every effort to maintain the rapid increase of public welfare. He informed that
UAH 5,4 billion were allocated for the social needs of
the internationalist combatants.
Vasyl Nadraha, Minister of Social Policy and Labour, stated that the working group would study implementation of the applicable legislation in part of the social security of the combatants.
Summing up the discussion, V.Lytvyn suggested that the participants of the negotiations reached a common decision on the crucial issues, considering the social security system. "Proposals of the working group will be implemented," he declared.
V.Lytvyn also plans to discuss the motions of the non-governmental organizations of Afghan war veterans regarding the Tax Code with the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy.