At the beginning of the morning meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak congratulated all Ukrainians with St. Mykolai- Wonderworker and wished them the good and health.    

Volodymyr Rybak informed about consultations with deputies factions’ leaders and suggested to make a break till 2 p.m., in connection with today’s consideration of important issues, and to give the people’s deputies a chance to work on the issues to be considered.    

The Chairman announced a break, inviting factions’ leaders for consultations.

After the break, Volodymyr Rybak adjourned the morning meeting and opened the evening one.  

The Chairman announced resignation of the people’s deputy Volodymyr Melnychenko from the Party of Regions faction.   

Volodymyr Rybak informed about the meeting with the deputies factions’ leaders where a decision on consideration of issues at the evening meeting was made.

The people’s deputy Pavlo Petrenko informed about the draft law on eliminating negative consequences, preventing prosecution and punishing people in connection with events taking place during peaceful assemblies. He read the bill’s text suggesting “to discharge persons, who participated in protest and mass actions, from liability regarding their actions and decisions during the period from November 21, 2013 and till the day of this Law coming into force.”  

The bill also suggests that all criminal proceedings and proceedings regarding committing administrative offences, opened in connection with the events, should be closed.

Moreover, new criminal proceedings and proceedings regarding committing administrative offences can not be opened in connection with events related to the abovementioned protest and mass actions.  

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis and in entirety with 339 votes.

Chairman of the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy Vitalii Khomutynnik informed about the draft law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on rates of some taxes and tax benefits. He said that the bill suggests increase excise tax rate on beer by 35%, on cider and perry (without adding alcohol) by 50%, on alcohol and other alcoholic drinks by 14%, as well as on tobacco products, tobacco and industrial tobacco substitutes.

The bill also stipulates postpone lowering of VAT (to 17%), stipulated by a current norm of the Tax Code of Ukraine, to the year 2015:

gradual lowering of VAT rate of enterprises from 19% to 16% (in 2014 in amount of 18%, in 2015 – 17%, in 2016 – 16%) over 3 years;

introduce exemption from imposition of VAT on operations with waste paper, etc.   

The bill was adopted as a basis and in entirety with 241 votes.

The people’s deputy Serhii Hrynevetskyi informed about the draft law on amendments to the Law “On State Service” (re enactment). He said that the bill suggests postpone enactment of the Law of Ukraine of “On State Service” until January 1, 2015.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis and in entirety.

The people’s deputies considered the draft law on amendments to the Law “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2013” (re specification of state budget revenues). Chairman of the Committee on Budget Yevhenii Hellier informed about the bill that suggests specify state budget revenues for 2013 in view of proper implementation of the state budget expenditures until the end of this year.   

According to the speaker, in general, revenues indices were decreased by UAH 19.395,9 mln and public borrowings indices were increased by UAH 19.395,9 mln with the respective increase of state budget deficit and state debt ceiling as of the end of 2013.  

The bill was adopted as a basis and in entirety.

The parliamentarians considered the draft law on amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” (re the official salary of judges). The people’s deputy Artur Martovytskyi reported that the bill suggests include a norm regarding the increase of judges’ salary to 12 minimum salaries since January 1, 2014. According to the speaker, adoption of the bill will balance the state budget and avoid additional expenditures on payment of labour of judges in the amount of approximately UAH 0,6 bln.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis and in entirety.

Parliament members adopted the resolution on the peculiarities of procedure of consideration and adoption of the Law of Ukraine on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2014.

Resolution stipulates that presentation of the draft law in the Verkhovna Rada shall be held on December 19, 2013.

The document stipulates also:

consideration of the draft law by the people’s deputies, as well as formulation of proposals to the draft law and their submission to the Committee on Budget not later than January 8, 2014 (proposals received after January 8, 2014 shall not be considered by the Committee on Budget);

preparation of proposals by the Committee on Budget with participation of the authorized representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and submission of such proposals for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada prior to January 16, 2014 10 a.m.;

consideration of the draft law with proposals of the Budgetary Committee and adoption of the draft law in entirety on January 16, 2014.

Presentation of the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2014 was held in the Verkhovna Rada. 

The bill was represented by the First Deputy Minister of Finance Anatolii Miarkovskyi. The official informed about the main factors that affected formation of the State Budget for the next year and, also, about the main macro indices laid in the document.

After the presentation, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak noted that the Verkhovna Rada shall work on the bill. 

The draft law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine (re establishment of the consolidated group of tax payers) was reported by the people’s deputy Oleksandr Dolzhenkov. He noted that the bill suggests define the term “consolidated group of tax payers” and supplement the Tax Code with a new article 152-1. He noted in particular that a consolidated group of tax payers can be formed by participants of the consolidated group that in total should correspond to several criteria simultaneously.   

The bill suggests not apply provisions of the Tax Code regarding tax control over transfer pricing to internal transactions between the affiliated persons of the consolidated group. 

The rapporteur informed that under the bill, “the consolidated group can be established by tax payers if one of the participants of the group either directly or indirectly owns more than 70 per cent of the sum of the statutory capital.”

Moreover, it is suggested establish a number of criteria that the future participants of the consolidated group should correspond to.

The presiding at the meeting put to vote the proposal on adoption of the bill as a basis and in entirety. 

The people’s deputies voiced out remarks to the bill.

The bill was adopted as a basis by 234 votes in favor. 

The Chairman announced consideration of the draft law on game husbandry and hunting registered under No. 2264-1.  

Representatives of opposing factions expressed their dissatisfaction with consideration of the bill, which, according to them, was not placed on the agenda.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada informed that the decision on consideration of this bill was taken during the meeting of the Conciliatory Council on Monday.

The people’s deputies prevented the rapporteur from presenting the bill.

The Chairman put the bill to vote without consideration.  

The bill, upheld by 202 people’s deputies, was rejected.

Volodymyr Rybak announced affiliation of the people’s deputy V.Demydiuk with the Communist Party of Ukraine. 

The Chairman addressed people’s deputies of Ukraine with a request to remark on consideration of the issues during the plenary meeting on Friday.  

Volodymyr Rybak adjourned the evening session.