After interference in the process of considering bill No. 8401 by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Rostislav Shurma, deputies, without agreement with the IMF, replaced the text of the draft, which was a structural beacon developed in pursuance of a memorandum with the International Monetary Fund. This was stated by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
“I received information from three sources - we have a problem with No. 8401 and the memorandum with the IMF. In short: the implementation of the structural lighthouse is not counted there, since at the last moment there was a change in the wording of the text of the law, which no one agreed with the IMF,” Zheleznyak wrote.
According to the deputy, this happened after Deputy of the Presidential Office Rostislav Shurma intervened in the process of working on the bill. In particular, the part of the project that concerns restrictions on inspections was replaced. “There was text No. 8401 for the second reading, where there was a normal text (checks were returned after the fact only for the largest entities). But then there was a meeting in the Rada: the prime minister, the leadership of the Rada, the minister of finance, the deputy OP and representatives of all factions. And there, at the last moment, Rostislav Shurma proposed to exclude part of the editorial board on inspections,” the deputy noted.
According to Zheleznyak, Rostislav Shurma assured that “all necessary negotiations” would be held. “They also promised to give a new concept for a single inspection body in 3 weeks (which, of course, no one did). All factions were witnesses,” the deputy noted.
He also said that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance opposed Shurma’s idea. However, the deputies, without agreement, replaced the text of the draft.
“I have an appeal here to my colleagues in the Rada. Especially those 239 who voted “For”. Do you understand that the only logic for voting 8401 was to comply with IMF requirements? And we’ve gone through this whole path and negativity in vain?” Zheleznyak noted.
According to the deputy, the consequence of this will be that Ukraine will not be credited for completing the lighthouse.
“After such a “kid”, the IMF will pay much more attention to the clause on checks, and in the following conditions this will be a real return and even an increase, and not a nominal one (as the text of 8401 initially provided),” Zheleznyak said.
“This point is becoming a problem for interaction with the IMF: not only was the deadline missed, but it was also abandoned. Considering that it’s already the end of August, and no one has lifted a finger on this yet, what will happen next is as always: at the last moment they will throw out the worst text written on their knees and “vote or die,” he also added.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 8401 in its entirety on June 30. Bill 26 was signed by the President.
The law provides for the abolition of a single tax of 2% from August 1 and a partial moratorium on inspections for excisable goods (alcohol, tobacco, fuel), gambling and financial services. From October 1, liability for violations in the scope of application of the RPO returns.
The adoption of this law was an important condition stipulated by the agreement with the IMF.
