Plenary meeting on December 28-29, 2014

PLENARY MEETING OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE EIGHTH CONVOCATION WAS HELD ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2014.

Opening plenary meeting on Sunday, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman noted that this is a very responsible and difficult day today, since the Verkhovna Rada has to consider and adopt several extremely important decisions on amendments to legislation and forming the budget for the next year.

Volodymyr Groysman suggested that parliamentarians should first consider inclusion of several issues into the agenda and then get down to consideration of extremely important bills in the first reading, particularly, the bills on preventing eviction of foreign currency loans debtors; ensuring rights of dormitory residents, etc.

The people’s deputies got down to considering agenda items.

Several bills were included into the agenda. In particular: on securing the right to fair trial (Reg. No. 1656); on amendments to the Budget Code re providing certain categories of citizens with privileges (Reg. No. 1657); on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re securing activity of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1660); on amendments to the Law “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” re refining basis of organization and functioning of judicial authority in line with European standards (Reg. No. 1497); on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re securing unity of court practice (Reg. No. 1361); on amendments to the Law “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” re establishing true responsibility of judges (Reg. No. 1585); and on amendments to the Law “On the Court System and the Status of Judges” (re refining the procedure of transfer of judges), registered under No. 1590.    

Further on, parliamentarians considered several bills in the first reading.

The draft law on amendments to article 46 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Prosecutor's Office" (re conditions for engaging experts), registered under No. 1605, was reported by the people’s deputy Ruslan Kniazevych. 

Ruslan Kniazevych addressed the people’s deputies asking them to adopt the bill, which will allow increase efficiency of activity of the prosecutor’s office of Ukraine.

Chairperson of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Andrii Kozhemiakin reported the Committee’s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis.

In the course of consideration, part of the people’s deputies upheld the bill in the first reading only. They stressed the necessity of making amendments.

Other speakers upheld adoption of the bill as a basis and in entirety.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis and in entirety by 283 votes.

Further on, parliamentarians considered two bills registered under No. 1499 and No. 1499-1 that suggested postponing enactment of a prohibition for the sale of home-made products and home-slaughter on the agro-food markets.

Following the results of voting, the bill registered under No. 1499-1 was adopted as a basis and in entirety.

The people’s deputies considered two bills on prolonging moratorium on alienation of dormitories, registered under No. 1505 and No. 1505-1. Legislative acts suggested prolonging moratorium on alienation of dormitories (except for transfer into communal property of respective city, township, village councils), that are controlled and managed by enterprises, organizations, or establishments, regardless of the ownership form, to eleven years (by October 1, 2019).    

The bill registered under No. 1505-1 was adopted as a basis and in entirety.

The draft law on amendments to several laws of Ukraine (re abolishing licensing of import of active pharmaceutical ingredients), registered under No. 1498, was presented by one of its authors – the people’s deputy Hlib Zahorii. According to him, the bill suggests abolishing licensing import of active pharmaceutical ingredients that shall promote further deregulation and establishment of proper conditions for the production medicine in Ukraine.

Following the results of voting, the bill was adopted as a basis (304 votes in favor).

The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading and in entirety the draft law on amendments to the 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.

At the demand of Samopomich faction and Radical Party, a break was announced.

First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii informed that “a complicated but fruitful discussion takes place.” At the request of the “People’s Front” and “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” he continued the break for 30 minutes more. 

At 1.30 p.m., A.Parubii informed that the Coalition Council and the Government do not manage to prepare and adjust all the amendments to the bills that have to be considered, and continued the break till 4 p.m.

At 4 p.m. Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroid continued the break till 6 p.m.

First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii informed that meeting of an expert group is coming to an end, and all leaders of factions ask to continue the break and start working at 7 p.m.

After the break, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman suggested the people’s deputies to vote for continuing morning plenary session until all the agenda items are considered.

Parliamentarians upheld the proposal by 249 votes.

The Presiding informed that the Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk and members of the Cabinet of Ministers are present in the session hall.

Volodymyr Groysman granted the floor to Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk.

Head of the Government thanked everyone for fruitful, almost a 10-hour, refinement of all the packages of legislation that will be adopted by the Parliament today. According to him, this was a complicated but a right work.

According to him, amendments to the Tax Code reduce the number of taxes from 22 to 9. The Prime Minister briefed on the tax reform.

The Prime Minister noted that the agreed amendments shall be made not only in regard to the Tax Code but to all the other laws too.

The Presiding put to vote in the second reading and in entirety the bill on amendments to the Tax Code and several other laws of Ukraine (re tax reform), registered under No. 1578, with consideration of amendments announced by A.Yatseniuk.

Voting failed (204 votes in favor).

After consideration of one more amendment of the Prime Minister, the bill was adopted in the second reading and in entirety by 250 votes.

With consideration of amendments made by Prime Minister A.Yatseniuk, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the following bills: on measures on stabilizing Ukraine’s payment balance according to article XII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 1994 (Reg. No. 1562); on amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine (re stabilizing payment balance), registered under No. 1563; on amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine (re reforming inter-budget relations), registered under No. 1557; on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine re improving tax control over transfer pricing (Reg. No. 1264-1); and On amendments to article 5 of the Law of Ukraine "On state assistance to victims of mass protest actions and their families (Reg. No. 1592).

After adoption of these bills, a break was announced that was prolonged for one more hour by the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine A.Parubii at the request of leaders of coalition factions.

After the break, Volodymyr Groysman again put to vote the bill under Reg. No. 1557. The bill was adopted in entirety with 232 votes.

Yu.Boiko from "Opposition Bloc" claimed that political responsibility for adopting the bill on state budget lies on the coalition factions. "Today's voting is a tragic mistake of the ruling coalition. We believe that if you have responsibility to the people, you will revise this budget and make it adhere to people's expectations", he said. 

The Chairperson gave the floor to Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk who claimed that one of key problems of Ukrainian financial and economic system is banking sector.

"What does the government suggest for Ukraine? The Government suggests urgently adopting the law which stipulates an accelerated procedure of capitalization of all Ukrainian banks", claimed A.Yatseniuk and asked the MPs to uphold the bill on measures aimed at banks capitalization and restructuring.   

The Verkhovna Rada adopted in entirety the draft law on measures aimed at banks capitalization and restructuring (Reg. No. 1564) with 273 votes.    

A.Yatseniuk reported on proposals to the draft law on amending and recognizing as void several legislative acts of Ukraine (Reg. No. 1577) and addressed the MPs to adopt the bill in entirety with consideration of these proposals.

256 MPs adopted the bill.

People's deputies also upheld in entirety and in a new version the bill on reforming mandatory state social insurance and legalizing the salary fund (Reg. No. 1573).  

After adopting this bill, the Chairperson specified that all laws adopted today come into force on January 1, 2015.

One-hour break was announced.

After the break, Volodymyr Groysman announced about consideration of the draft law on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015.

The Chairperson gave the floor to leader of "Samopomich" faction Oleh Bereziuk who suggested postponing the voting on the budget by Monday.

MP did not uphold the proposal (64 in favour).

The Chairperson gave the floor to Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk who informed about the bill on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015 (Reg. No. 1000).

After people's deputies voiced their proposals, the Chairperson put to vote the bill with remarks of the Prime Minister. 

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill on the State Budget of Ukraine for 2015 in entirety with 233 votes.

The Chairperson put to vote the proposal on the bills under Reg. No. 1264-1 and No. 1564 entering into force on the day of their publication.

MPs upheld this proposal.