PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SIXTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON TUESDAY, 6 OCTOBER
In the beginning of the morning meeting, representatives of the Deputy Factions presented their appeals, announcements and proposals.
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, suggested that the People´s Deputies voted for supplementing of the agenda with the Draft Resolution on Legal Support of Activity of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The Draft Resolution was put to the vote to be adopted as a basis and in its entirety. The voting was not positive (213 votes).
Before the Resolution was put to the vote to be adopted as a basis, the Chairman read out the text of the Draft. Inter alia, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Resolution of 22 September 2009 № 1623-VІ "On the Alternation of the Mode of Voting for the Bills appertaining to the Increase of the State Social Standards Rates" was to be recognized as invalid.
The People´s Deputies adopted the Draft Resolution as a basis (259 votes).
The Parliament members endorsed each paragraph of the Resolution separately, however, the voting for the Draft Resolution in its entirety was not positive (208 votes).
Adam Martyniuk, representatives of the CPU Faction, suggested that a separate proposal concerning alteration of the mode of voting for the bills appertaining to the increase of the State social standards rates be put to the vote.
The Parliament members rejected the said proposal.
The, the People´s Deputies cancelled the Resolution of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of 22 September 2009 №1623-6 "On the Alternation of the Mode of Voting for the Bills appertaining to the Increase of the State Social Standards Rates" (234 votes).
The Chairman stated that the People´s Deputies had already discussed a number of Bills appertaining to the increase of the State social standards rates, and put the Bills to the vote. The Bill on the fixing of the Living Wage and Minimum Wage was adopted as a basis.
Then the People´s Deputies supplemented the agenda with the Draft Resolution "On Extra Measures to be taken to order certain Expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine aimed at the increase of the State Social Standards and Guarantees", and scrutinized the Draft.
The Draft Resolution was adopted as a basis by 316 votes.
Then the Parliament members scrutinized a number of Bills and Draft Resolutions appertaining to the moratorium on the increase of prices and tariffs for utility services, medicine and medical items, and introduction of government regulation of prices for consumer's goods.
The Bill on the Moratorium on the Increase of Prices and Tariffs for Medicine and Medical Items was adopted as a basis (345 votes), as well as the Draft Resolutions on the Government Regulation of Prices for Consumer's Goods of Essential Social Importance (311 votes) and on Prevention of Abuse of Citizens' Rights for Labour and Remuneration of Labour under the Conditions of the Financial-Economic Recession (309 votes).
The Verkhovna Rada rejected the Bill on the Moratorium on the Increase of Prices and Tariffs for Utility Services, Natural Gas and Electricity used for Everyday Needs, Foodstuffs, Essential Commodities and Public Transport, as well as the Draft Resolution on the Moratorium on the Increase of Prices and Tariffs for Public Utility Services.
The People´s Deputies included the Resolution "On Ratification of the Decree on the National Radiological Protection Commission of Ukraine" into the agenda, scrutinized the Draft and adopted it.
In the end of the plenary meeting, the People´s Deputies passed the Resolution "On Observance of the Constitutional Inuring Procedure of the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2009" and certain other Laws of Ukraine" of 21 August 2009 №1608-VІ (262 votes).
In the end of the afternoon meeting, the People´s Deputies listened to the Government´s Report on the Implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2008. Anatoliy Miarkovsky, Deputy Minister of Finance, briefed on the basic results.
The reporter also commented upon the drawbacks of the last year´s budgetary process.
In their reports, the People´s Deputies mainly criticized the Government. The Parliament members stated that the entrepreneurs were taxed in advance in 2008, and the national programs were funded for only one third of the funds required.
It was suggested that the Report on the Implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2008 be declared unsatisfactory. Representatives of the BYuT Faction spoke in favour of the Government.
Due to the results of the scrutiny, three Draft Resolutions submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Committee on Budget and the People´s Deputies were put to the vote. Neither Draft Resolution was adopted.
Then the People´s Deputies listened to the report of the Cabinet of Ministers on the Implementation of the State Budget of Ukraine for the First Half of 2009.
Then the afternoon plenary meeting was adjourned.
The next plenary meeting of the fifth session will be held on Wednesday, 7 October.