Mykola Tomenko: In the Nearest Time, the Deputies will have to take a Special Test: whether they support "Public Health and Culture" or "Beer and Wine"
Mykola Tomenko, Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, commented on the plans of Parliament´s work for the current plenary week. Thus, Mykola Tomenko stated that apart from a number of important anti-recessionary Bills, the deputies will have to take "a special test" to demonstrate whether they support public health and culture or "beer and wine".
Mykola Tomenko means the proposal of the Government to amend the Bill "On the State Budget of Ukraine for Year 2009". The said Bill envisages a single approach to the taxation of alcoholic beverages with addition of spirit, i.e. increase of the rate of excise duty on a certain categories of wines and beer.
The Vice-Chairman is convinced that the Parliament should increase the rates of excise duty, as it will settle a number of urgent issues. Thus, extra budget revenue from excise duty is to be allocated as extra subsidy to the local budgets to provide medical treatment of the sick with diabetes mellitus; and for implementation of action plan concerning twenty-four-hour water supply of Lviv, etc.