The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), after reviewing the finalized version of draft law No. 5655 on the reform of urban planning activities, assessed it as inconsistent with the anti-corruption strategy and recommends finalizing the draft law.
“According to the anticorruption strategy for 2021-2025 the priority spheres for introduction of anticorruption measures are determined, in particular construction, land relations and infrastructure. The problems in this area are determined, among others, by the imperfection of the existing instruments of control and lack of transparency in the construction processes. After reviewing the finalized version of the draft law, it was found that the proposed wording does not solve the problems identified and is therefore not consistent with the anti-corruption strategy,” – said deputy chairman of the NACP Andriy Vishnevetskiy in a letter to the specialized committee of the Verkhovna Rada, the agency “Interfax-Ukraine” got acquainted with.
Thus, the comments and recommendations of the NAPC among other things noted that the bill number 5655 does not provide a mechanism for remedying violations of the law identified through the implementation of supervision, there are no sanctions for the objects of supervision in the case of violations and it is not indicated how these violations must be resolved. There is also no procedure for cancellation of the right of construction obtained on the basis of submitted documents that contradict the urban planning legislation. That is why it is suggested to provide for a procedure of termination of the right for construction and annulment of permits in case of violation revealed by the supervisory authority.
The draft law No. 5655 suggests supplementing the law “On regulation of town planning activity” with new Article 383 and stipulating that a construction object constructed or under construction in violation of restrictions of land use cannot be considered as unauthorized construction if such restrictions are not stated in the town planning conditions and restrictions and/or are not included into the State Land Cadastre.
“The above circumstances practically legalize construction in violation of restrictions on land use. Regarding the availability of information about the restrictions of land use in the State Land Cadastre it should be noted that the information entered in the State Land Cadastre is incomplete, is in a state of creation and may not contain data about a particular plot of land,” reads the comments.
In this case NAPK recommends to provide as a reason for refusal to grant urban conditions and restrictions (UZK) inconsistency of data and information in order to obtain UZK to the requirements of urban planning documents, and during the development of projects and examination to establish compliance with the requirements of urban planning documents at the local level. In addition, NAPC filed a number of other proposals.
The Insurance Business Association together with the League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine and the Kharkiv Union of Insurers supported the draft law “On introducing changes to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on reforming the sphere of urban planning” (No 5655) with the recommendation to adopt it at the second reading and in whole by the Supreme Council.
The relevant opinion of professional associations of insurers promulgated in an open letter, the association noted in a post on Facebook on Monday.
“The current text of the bill provides for liability insurance of authorized persons for urban planning control. Considering the international insurance and reinsurance practice, we consider it advisable to further extend such practice to performers of certain types of architectural and construction works, who take part in the creation of construction objects, namely architects, design engineers, engineers for technical supervision and the like”, – notes the General Director of the Association “Insurance Business” Vyacheslav Chernyakhovsky, whose words are contained in the message.
As reported, the bill number 5655 provides for the activities of the examination of design documentation for the construction expert organization and implementation of urban planning control at the prior conclusion of the contract of professional liability insurance, without the presence of which the activities of the expert organization and authorized person for urban planning control is impossible.
The Verkhovna Rada did not support bill No. 5125 on credit unions at a meeting on July 18 and sent it for a second second reading, People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
“They didn’t generally support (219) No. 5125 the new legislation on credit unions. They sent it to a second second (vote),” he wrote on the Telegram channel on Monday.
According to the report, 234 parliamentarians voted for such a decision, with the required 226 votes.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading and as a basis bill No. 6383, which provides for the introduction of building information modeling (BIM-technologies) at all stages of the life cycle of objects.
“In most developed countries, BIM technologies are already actively used in the design of construction projects. In particular, for state orders, their use is mandatory. The Ukrainian construction industry still does not have a very high level of digitalization, and BIM technologies are still used in their activities of only a few organizations. Finally, we will change this and our construction will become modern,” Elena Shulyak, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the organization of state power, local self-government, regional development and urban planning, said on Facebook.
According to her, thanks to BIM technologies, it will be possible to gain access to any information about the construction site, control construction work at all stages, rationally use resources and significantly reduce construction costs.
As reported, the draft law also provides for the mandatory use of BIM technologies in the development of project documentation for the construction of facilities with the involvement of budgetary funds. In this case, a transitional period of five years is established.
Earlier in February 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the concept for the introduction of BIM technologies.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading bill No. 6485 on creating conditions for comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings, MP Ivan Yunakov (Servant of the People faction) said.
“We considered this bill at the committee on February 23 … We will prepare for the second reading, taking into account the conditions and challenges that the country faced the next day,” the people’s deputy wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
According to the explanatory note to the bill, the document will remove a number of legislative obstacles to the implementation of thermal modernization projects, including in the case of state support.
The bill amends the law “On the Energy Efficiency Fund” in terms of the procedure for developing, reviewing and accepting applications, implementing and verifying projects.
The draft law will also simplify the implementation of partial thermal modernization projects by reducing the number of procedures, as well as introducing clear criteria in terms of energy efficiency indicators for such projects.
In addition, the procedure for the creation and functioning of associations of co-owners of an apartment building (OSMD) will be simplified.
On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill approved by the Congress to appropriate $40 billion for Ukraine, the White House press service has reported.
“On Saturday, May 21, 2022, the President signed into law H.R. 7691, the “Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022,” the press service said in a statement posted on the White House’s official website.
“Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022” provides supplemental emergency appropriations for fiscal year 2022 to Federal agencies to respond to the situation in, and for assistance to, Ukraine.
