Ukraine needs to simplify the bureaucracy in the work and accounting of charitable foundations and volunteers, said Artem Honcharenko, president of the Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine Foundation, a volunteer.
“I am in favor of simplifying the procedure for transferring charitable aid to recipients, simplifying the bureaucracy in the work of charitable foundations and volunteers. I know from my own experience how much time is spent on paperwork and bureaucracy. For example, a person who is at “zero” on the frontline has to write us an application, according to which we have to collect everything and give him or her a certificate to sign that he or she has received our help. I have an example when a person for whom we were collecting aid died while we were filling out all the paperwork,” he said during a roundtable discussion at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
Goncharenko noted that one way to simplify the processing of aid provided by charities and volunteers is to fill out and submit documents online.
“We need to simplify the procedure. I am speaking here on behalf of all the foundations, I think they support me in this: we need to simplify this system or allow us to fill it out online. Then people will be able to fill it out, and we will be able to ship them the aid,” he said.
Honcharenko also emphasized the need to regulate the issue of VAT taxation of goods purchased and delivered by charitable foundations and volunteers.
“We need to remove VAT from these goods. When we imported the first mobile hospital, it cost EUR 230 thousand, and the VAT amounted to another EUR 50 thousand,” he said.
In his turn, Serhiy Petkov, Doctor of Law, military officer, emphasized the need to use online tools in the process of receiving social assistance and payments, in particular for veterans and military personnel.
At the same time, he noted that in Ukraine, “for some reason, issues are resolved at the level of bylaws, and this should not be the case in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, legislation should be codified.”
“All these bylaws, various resolutions, instructions, letters, explanations, etc. should become a thing of the past, we need to move away from manual control and move to a normal democratic legal life so that everything happens in accordance with the law,” he said.
For his part, Doctor of Law, professor, volunteer Ihor Kopotun noted that there is no need to develop a separate regulatory framework for social protection of military personnel and veterans.
“I think we don’t need to invent anything. Today, the social protection of servicemen or any person must meet the requirements of the current legislation, the social protection provided by the laws. Everyone should be equal before the law, and the laws that have already been adopted today should be implemented,” he said.
bureaucracy, CHARITY, GONCHARENKO, mobile hospital, OPINION, Petkov, VOLUNTEERS, Копотун
On January 04, the Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture hosted the official presentation of awards of the National Guard of Ukraine to the team and partners of the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” for the systematic assistance they have provided and are providing to our defenders.
In the framework of cooperation with the National Guard, the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” and its partners provided material and technical equipment, medical supplies and food to support our soldiers who are on the defensive positions.
“The defenders of the National Guard of Ukraine are sincerely grateful to the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” and its President Artem Goncharenko for the contribution they make to the logistical support of our soldiers in these difficult times. For example, the tents that were transferred to the positions of the forces, in such difficult weather conditions, were very useful to our defenders. And this is just one of the examples of practical assistance that has been going on for months. The unity of the armed forces and civil society today is the key to our victory. On this day, I am pleased to acknowledge the people who help and will help the National Guard to achieve it,” said Major Serhii Petkov, legal adviser of the 3101 unit of the National Guard, during the awarding ceremony.
The National Guard of Ukraine awarded team members and partners of the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine”:
Goncharenko Natalia – Head of the National Institute of Regional Development
Butkaliuk Viacheslav – journalist
Voloshkina Olena – Professor, Doctor of Science
Hamotskyi Roman – architect, vice president of the International Association of Transfer and Technology
Zavalnyuk Vitaliy – representative of the international creative center I-Dolina
Kreknina Olena – Deputy Marketing Director of AXOR Industry
Kulakov Igor – Chairman of the NGO “New Lviv”, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for Reconstruction of Ukraine
Stanko Andriy – representative of the Association of Education and Science of Ukraine
Tsytsylina Iryna – Head of the NGO “Culture and Heritage of Ukraine”
Shcherbak Andriy, volunteer, founder of TM “Zeleno”
Volunteers of the Foundation:
Dzhuryn Maria
Zavalnyuk Roman
Bilash Hanna
Boldak Roman
Motrenko Svitlana
Savchenko Diana
Slisarenko Ilya
Andriy Stanko
“Supporting our defenders is one of the priorities of the Foundation for Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine and its partners. And I am very pleased that our efforts are appreciated by the National Guard. In fact, we are grateful to our soldiers for bravely defending our country. I want to assure that the Foundation will continue to support our defenders and do small things and large humanitarian projects aimed at our soonest victory. I also want to thank my entire team for their hard daily work, which contributes to this cause,” said Artem Honcharenko, President of the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” during the award ceremony.
Recall that the charitable foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” continues to raise funds for 52 mobile hospitals for the military at the forefront. The first mobile hospital has already been delivered to the Armed Forces. Only one such hospital can save up to 100 lives of our defenders every day.
As you know, a mobile hospital is a full-fledged hospital on wheels, equipped with modern medical equipment. The medical center allows to provide urgent surgical intervention directly near active combat operations. Two medical teams can work simultaneously in the mobile hospital. This project is implemented by the Charitable Foundation “Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine” together with the doctors of the military hospital who will go to the front line to save lives.
The Club of Experts YouTube channel has released a new video dedicated to the prospects for the development of the volunteer movement in Ukraine after the start of the war and solving the main problems that our citizens may face when bringing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
According to Maxim Urakin, the founder of the Club of Experts, the humanitarian situation that arose in Ukraine after the outbreak of hostilities forced tens of thousands of people to volunteer.
“At the same time, many people faced with the incomprehensibility of the processes of crossing the border and importing certain goods into the country,” the expert emphasized.
In his commentary, the head of the International Technology Transfer Association (ITTA), Artem Goncharenko, noted that when organizing volunteer assistance, one should understand what needs the recipients of volunteer assistance have. At the same time, in his opinion, individual and general requests of both military and ordinary citizens should be distributed.
“It is important to understand that we cannot offer a single universal solution. Need a personal approach (…). At the same time, different volunteer organizations should unite to improve the coordination of work,” he said.
In turn, Evgenia Litvinova, Chair of the Ukrainian Exporters’ Club, analyzed the latest legislative changes that have greatly simplified the delivery of international humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
In their presentation, the experts provided a detailed explanation on the following problematic issues:
– Who has the right to bring humanitarian aid to Ukraine?
– On the basis of what documents can humanitarian aid be imported?
– What changes have been introduced when filling out customs declarations?
– What shipping documents do you need to have when crossing the border?
For more details, see the video on the YouTube channel “Expert Club” at the link:
EXPERT CLUB, GONCHARENKO, HUMANITARIAN AID, IMPORT, LITVINOVA, URAKIN
