Sitting of Conciliation Commission
16 March 2020, 13:30
Sitting of the Conciliation Commission (Board) of parliamentary factions (parliamentary groups)
Opening the sitting, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov observed that in order to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 virus with success "we must do our utmost and we must do it proactively".
He did support the nationwide antivirus measures implemented by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and brought to mind the restrictions concerning access to the premises of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The politician also stressed that the above limitations would in no way affect routine proceedings of the parliament as well as its transparency and openness.
An extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada was said to be anticipated soon in order to consider a draft bill capable of helping different branches of government to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Changes to the VRU’s plenary timetable are meant to just reorder the sequence of plenary and committee-work weeks until April 3, 2020.
Dmytro Razumkov also informed that all political forces supported the proposal to transfer the funds allocated for parliamentary activities to a reserve fund.
The head of parliament expressed his hope that the work of the Verkhovna Rada would demonstrate unity, and that the parliament, together with the entire country, would get through this serious challenge.
The Chairman then gave the floor to the first vice speaker of parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk, who said that he supported the steps taken to counter the ongoing epidemic.
In her speech, the vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk stressed that the quarantine should be taken even more seriously.
Representatives of factions and groups spoke at the meeting as well.
Floor was then given to the chairman of the health care committee, who genned the chamber up about a bill drafted to help counteract the coronavirus nationwide, which is to be seen into at the special sitting of the parliament. He also added that the bill at stake is thought to be operative for only three months.
Chairmen of other committees spoke at the meeting, too.
Below is the agenda for the March 17 special sitting of the parliament dedicated to coronavirus issues:
1) a health-care committee bill aimed at counteracting the virus in Ukraine;
2) changes to the work-plan calendar of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine;
3) a draft resolution that seeks to suspend parliamentary hearings;
4) a draft bill No.2538 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine aimed to increase availability of medications, healthcare products and other goods bought by a person entitled to make purchases in the field of health care”;
5) a draft bill No.2539 “On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine aimed to increase availability of medications, healthcare products and other goods bought at the expense of public funds, and facilitate healthcare purchases at the expense of public funds”;
6) a finance committee bill covering coronavirus-related economic measures.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov instructed parliamentary committees to draw up their lists of issues to be considered at tomorrow’s special sitting of the parliament and closed the ongoing meeting of the Conciliation Commission.