PLENARY MEETING OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE WAS HELD ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014.

Having opened the morning meeting, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman informed that on December 16 the Central Election Commission registered people's deputy of Ukraine Oleksandr Reveha.

O.Reveha took an oath to the Verkhovna Rada.

Authorized representatives of deputy factions and groups made their statements, messages, and proposals, mainly, regarding the bill on the state budget of Ukraine for 2015 and other governmental initiatives. 

Leader of "Petro Poroshenko Bloc" faction Yu.Lutsenko suggested refining the bill and then submitting it for consideration.

Representatives of factions "Samopomich" and "Batkivshchyna" also spoke in favour of adhering to the procedure and thoroughly studying the bills on the budget process before the voting.

Leader of "Batkivshchyna" faction Yu.Tymoshenko suggested considering the bill on the State Budget on Thursday in the first reading and on Tuesday in the second reading. 

Other speakers also stressed the need to adopt the State Budget. Moreover, they, particularly, suggested reviewing articles of budget that are connected with social payments and correct them.

Summing up the speeches, Volodymyr Groysman claimed "The country needs the budget, since it will ensure funding the army and give an opportunity to adopt local budgets" and called on the MPs to start resolving the problems.  

MPs considered the draft law on amendments to the Law "On the National Security and Defence Council" re improving coordination and control in the sphere of national security and defence (Reg. No. 1343).

Chairperson of the Committee on National Security and Defence Serhii Pashynskyi reported about 40 amendments introduced to the bill.

MPs considered them and voted; however, none of them was upheld.

Before voting, some people's deputies spoke against "creating another alternative governmental body".

First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii said "As a former Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, I can state with confidence that if we do not give more powers to the National Security and Defence Council, we will endanger our national security and defence".

Leader of "Petro Poroshenko Bloc" faction Yu.Lutsenko reminded that the President upholds this bill. MPs-ATO participants also upheld this bill. 

Chairperson put the bill to vote; however, it was unsuccessful. 302 people's deputies voted for refining the bill.

MPs considered two bills on refusal from the non-aligned policy of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1014 and No. 1043-1).

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin introduced the bill under Reg. No. 1014-3; and people's deputy Borys Tarasiuk introduced the bill under Reg. No. 1014. Secretary of the Committee on National Security and Defence Ivan Vinnyk reported about the Committee's decision to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada adopt as a basis and in entirety the bill under Reg. No. 1014-3 submitted by the President of Ukraine.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis and in entirety with 303 votes.

Chairperson announced a break.

After the break, the Chairperson gave the floor to MP I.Krulko who informed that scouts brought the Bethlehem Peace Light to the Verkhovna Rada.

"May this light bless our session hall. Glory to Ukraine!" stressed I.Krulko and gave the Bethlehem Peace Light to the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada.

Volodymyr Groysman informed that the Cabinet of Ministers members are also participating in the plenary meeting.

The Chairperson put to vote the proposal on continuing the morning meeting. MPs upheld the proposal with 234 votes.

Volodymyr Groysman informed about peculiarities of the procedure of considering and adopting the draft Law of Ukraine on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015 and gave the floor to Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk.

The Prime Minister said that for the last 20 days the government, formed by the parliamentary coalition "European Ukraine", has been elaborating the first basic package of Ukrainian reforms. "We have submitted 44 legislative acts to Ukrainian Parliament. We ask to include to the agenda all of them", he claimed.

A.Yatseniuk noted that this package of laws is divided. “We are talking about a new Budget Code, particularly about providing local authorities with additional powers; secondly, about a new Tax Code, change of taxation system, cancellation of a number of taxes, and broadening the taxation basis; thirdly, about amendments to the Customs Code; fourthly, about taxation of big or the so-called oligarchic business. It goes about the Law of Ukraine “On Transfer Pricing” and cancellation of the Agreement on abolishment of double taxation with Cyprus; as well as a range of social bills,” he informed. 

Minister of Finance Nataliia Yaresko presented the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015. “Ukrainian people defended their freedom. Ukrainian army and volunteers protect us against military aggression in the East of Ukraine. Lots of our compatriots paid with their life for our security; lots of them lost their homes and near ones. We have lost around 20 per cent of economy and more than 50 per cent of industrial production in Donbas. Today Ukraine needs each citizen, business and entrepreneur to make his/her contribution to the protection of country’s territorial integrity. We have to stabilize Ukraine’s financial state with the help of our international partners. In view of this, we elaborated several reformative laws and we would ask you to uphold them today,” noted N.Yaresko.

Minister of Social Policy Pavlo Rozenko informed about social expenditures of the State Budget in 2015. He presented the bill on reforming mandatory state social insurance and legalization of labour remuneration fund.

Deputy Finance Minister Volodymyr Matviichuk reported on the bill on amendments to several legislative acts and recognizing the legislative acts as invalid (Reg. No. 1577).

Volodymyr Matviichuk informed that this bill stipulates amending 66 laws and briefed on these changes.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade Aivaras Abromavychus reported on several bills on deregulation of economy suggested by the Government. 

Members of the Government responded to the questions of the people’s deputies.

Prime Minister A.Yatseniuk informed that the draft state budget includes a figure of 17 UAH per 1 USD.

After the presentation of governmental bill, Volodymyr Groysman informed that meeting of the Coalition Council was held in the cabinet of the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada, where it was decided which proposal the majority shall make that would be able to receive 226 votes.

Volodymyr Groysman addressed parliamentarians saying that “no one makes you adopt the laws today in order to vote on them with eyes closed, as you put it.” He asked to stop saying that the bill on the 2015 State Budget will be adopted today, as well as other governmental bills.

The session hall discussed the bills presented by the Government.

Summing up, Prime Minister A.Yatseniuk addressed the MPs asking for political responsibility.

Volodymyr Groysman noted that there are two bills registered under No. 1000- П and No. 1000- П 1. He informed about the proposals regarding the work on the governmental bills.

People’s deputy Yurii Lutsenko suggested considering 44 governmental bills in the first reading, as well as the bills on amendments to the Budget and Tax Codes during the plenary meeting on Thursday. Then, consider them in the second reading on Sunday, December 28, and vote on the draft State Budget for 2015 on Tuesday, December 30.  

With consideration of these proposals, the draft resolution on peculiarities of the procedure of consideration of bills connected with adopting the Law of Ukraine on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015 (Reg. No. 1000- П) was adopted by 253 votes.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law on the special procedure of consideration of bills connected with adoption of the State Budget for 2015 (Reg. No. 1000-П 1).

The draft resolution on the Address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the international organizations and parliamentary assemblies regarding liberation of Ukrainian pilot and the people’s deputy of Ukraine of the eighth convocation Nadiia Viktorivna Savchenko (Reg. NO. 1584) was included into the agenda. 

Further on, parliamentarians considered several draft resolutions on awarding prizes and scholarships of the Verkhovna Rada.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the following draft resolutions: on awarding the annual Verkhovna Rada Prize to pedagogical staff of comprehensive, vocational-technical, pre-school, and out-of-school educational establishments (Reg. No. 1339); on awarding in 2014 nominal scholarships of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the most talented young researchers (Reg. No. 1341); on awarding the Verkhovna Rada Prize to the most talented young researchers in the sphere of basic and applied research and scientific and technical developments for 2013 (Reg. No. 1342); and on awarding the 2014 Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Prize for contribution of youth to the development of parliamentarism and local self-government (Reg. No. 1323).

The draft resolution on amendments to the plan calendar of the first session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation (Reg. No. 1582) was reported by the First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure and Support to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Pavlo Pynzenyk. He informed that under the bill there shall be no holidays between the first and the second sessions.

Pavlo Pynzenyk noted also that amendments to the procedure of consideration of the State Budget of Ukraine have just been adopted. Its adoption is scheduled for the 30^th of December.  

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolution on amendments to the plan calendar of the first session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation (Reg. No. 1582) by 252 votes, with consideration of amendments and supplementations.

Prior to adjourning the session, the Presiding addressed the people’s deputies with a request to start working on the draft 2015 State Budget in the committees, and closed the plenary session. 

Next plenary session will be held on Thursday, December 25.