Plenary meeting on December 25, 2014

THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE EIGHTH CONVOCATION CONTINUED ITS WORK IN PLENARY MODE ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014.

Having opened the morning meeting, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman congratulated Christians with the Christmas and wished them sound health and peace.

The Chairperson announced that MP O.Reveha entered "Petro Poroshenko Bloc" faction.

Volodymyr Groysman informed about establishing several inter-faction deputy unions: "For Rivnenshchyna" (co-chairpersons are V.Yanytskyi and Yu.Vozniuk); "European Cherkashchyna" (co-chairpersons - M.Tomenko and O.Petrenko); "Circle" (chairperson - V.Kryvenko); "For European Sumshchyna" (chairperson - M.Lavryk); "Solidarity of Right Forces" (chairperson - V.Artemenko); "European Donbas" (chairperson - A.Herasymov); "For the Future of Ukraine" (chairperson - L.Kozachenko).    

The Chairperson announced for consideration the draft law on amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine” re improving coordination and control in the sphere of national defense and security (Reg. No. 1343).

Chairperson of the Committee on National Security and Defence Serhii Pashynskyi reported on the Committee's decision to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill in the second reading and in entirety.

Following the results of the voting, the bill was adopted with 253 votes in entirety.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolution on the address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to organizations and inter-parliamentary assemblies on freeing Ukrainian pilot and people's deputy of Ukraine of the eighth convocation Nadiia Viktorivna Savchenko (Reg. No. 1584).

First Deputy Minister of Finance Ihor Umanskyi reported on the governmental bill on amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine (re reform of inter-budget relations) under Reg. No. 1557. In his words, the draft law suggests regulating budgetary legal relations connected with introduction of a new model of financial provision of local budgets and inter-budget relations; strengthening responsibility of main spending units of budgetary funds; and operation of budgetary system of Ukraine in the special period.

Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Budget Serhii Melnyk reported on the Committee's decision to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis with 264 votes.

Deputy Minister of Finance Volodymyr Matviichuk informed about another governmental bill on amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1576). The speaker claimed adoption of the bill will allow to improve provisions of the Budget Code with the aim to implement measures on economic and rational use of budget funds. 

Following the results of the voting, the bill was rejected (136 votes in favour).

Deputy Minister of Finance Volodymyr Matviichuk reported on another governmental bill on amending and recognizing as void several legislative acts of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1577). He informed that the bill suggests canceling a wide range of benefits and payments to separate categories of persons.

Chairperson of the Committee on Science and Education Liliia Hrynevych claimed the Committe decided to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada recommit the bill.

MPs upheld the Committee's decision to recommit the bill. 

The Chairperson announced a break.

After the break, the MPs continued considering governmental bills.

Deputy Minister of Finance Denys Fudashkin informed about the draft law on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine and several laws of Ukraine (re tax reform) under Reg. No. 1578. He said the bill aims at improving conditions for conducting business in Ukraine, increasing indices of Ukraine in international ratings and increasing budget revenues.

Chairperson of the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy Roman Nasirov reported on the Committee's decision to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis, having excluded several provisions from its text. 

MPs did not uphold a suggestion on adopting the bill as a basis. Instead, they upheld a decision of a specialized committee on adopting the bill as a basis with consideration of the Committee's proposals.

Then, MPs considered two bills on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine re improving tax control over transfer pricing under Reg. No. 1264 and No. 1264-1.

People's deputy O.Dolzhenkov and Deputy Minister of Finance Denys Fudashkin informed about these two bills.

Chairperson of the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy Roman Nasirov said the Committee recommends that the Parliament adopt as a basis the governmental bill as it is more appropriate. 

The bill was adopted with 275 votes as a basis with consideration of proposals of the specialized committee.

MPs considered and adopted as a basis two bills on stabilizing balance of payment Reg. No. 1562 and No. 1563.

The draft law on reforming mandatory state social insurance and legalization of labour remuneration fund (new version), registered under No. 1573, was reported by the deputy Finance Minister Volodymyr Matviichuk.

Member of the Committee on Social Policy, Employment and Pension Provision Nataliia Korolevska reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada reject this bill.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis by 244 votes.

The people’s deputies upheld as a basis and in entirety the bills on amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine (re several issues on state compensation for damage), registered under No. 1574, and on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine (re some issues on state compensation for damage), registered under No. 1575.

Parliamentarians considered and adopted as a basis the draft law on amendments to article 5 of the Law "On establishing state assistance to the victims of mass protest actions and their family members" (re sources of covering expenses), registered under No. 1592.

The draft law on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re simplifying conditions for conducting business (deregulation) registered under No. 1580 was reported by Minister of Economic Development and Trade Aivaras Abromavychus.

According to the speaker, the bill aims to deregulate economic activity which will give Ukraine a possibility to increase its position in Doing Business ranking; comply legislation in separate spheres with the EU legislation, particularly, in the agro-industrial sector; and liquidate permission centers as a separate component of centers of providing administrative services.

The bill stipulates also improving quality of providing administrative services by introducing alternative possibility of submitting documents to local self-government officials, administrators of centers of providing administrative services, and other persons in the order determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; reducing the time of providing administrative services in the sphere of state registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs; canceling state registration of franchising agreements; etc.        

Under the bill, central governmental authorities shall be deprived of inappropriate functions. 

Chairperson of the subcommittee of the Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship Hennadii Kryvosheia reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada recommit it to the subject of legislative initiative.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis by 266 votes.

Chairperson of the Committee on Corruption Prevention and Counteraction Yehor Soboliev presented the draft resolution on establishing the commission on holding a competition for the post of Director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine. He noted that under the document, the following persons are suggested to be appointed members of the commission on holding a competition for the post of Director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine:

Giovanni Kessler – Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office;

Nyshchuk Yevhen Mykolaiovych – public figure, former Minister of Culture of Ukraine;

Musiiaka Viktor Lavrentiiovych – public and political figure, Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, one of the authors of the text of the Constitution of Ukraine.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolution in entirety by 292 votes. 

The people’s deputies considered the issue of denouncement and took the decision to refer to the specialized committee four bills on denouncement of the Agreement between the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on Avoidance of Double Taxation of Income and Property of October 29, 1982, registered under No. 0001, 0001-1, 0001-2, and 0001-3.

The draft law on measures aimed at promoting capitalization and restructuring of banks (Reg. No. 1564) was reported by the deputy Finance Minister Vitalii Lisovenko.

According to the speaker, the bill suggests regulating issues connected with strengthening solvency of Ukrainian banking system and increasing the level of trust in it. It stipulates the package of measures to strengthen solvency of Ukrainian banking system and suggests specifying powers of the Deposit Guarantee Fund. 

Following the results of voting, the bill was adopted as a basis by 251 votes.

The people’s deputies considered several bills on dismissal of judges and took the respective decisions.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolution on execution of judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case “Oleksandr Volkov against Ukraine” (re the judge of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Volkov Oleksandr Fedorovych), registered under No. 1352.

Parliamentarians considered several bills in the first reading.

The bills on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2014” (re fulfilling commitments on national debt), registered under No. 1125, and on amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Service" (re postponing entry into force), register under No. 1072, were adopted as a basis and in entirety.

At the end of the meeting, the people’s deputies considered three bills on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine concerning application of a tax compromise registered under No. 1071, 1071-1, and 1071-д.

The people’s deputies Oleksandr Dolzhenkov, Oksana Prodan and Chair of the Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy Roman Nasirov presented the abovementioned bills.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill registered under No. 1071-д as a basis by 264 bills, suggested by the specialized committee.

The people’s deputies considered the draft law on amendments to the Law "On moratorium on recovery of property of Ukrainian citizens provided as collateral for foreign currency loans" re strengthening rights of borrowers.

The bill was adopted as a basis by 269 votes.

The people’s deputies did not uphold the proposal of certain factions to hold a plenary meeting on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

The Presiding put to vote the proposal to work in the committees instead of holding a plenary meeting of Friday.

Parliamentarians upheld the proposal.

Chairperson of the Parliament adjourned plenary session.

Next plenary session of the first session will be held on Sunday, December 28.