The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has set an immigration quota for 2022 at 8,488 people.
The relevant decision was made at a government meeting on Wednesday.
In particular, a quota for relatives of Ukrainian citizens (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and granddaughters) was 805 people; for persons who were previously citizens of the country – 406 people; for parents, spouses and minor children of immigrants – 2,345 people; and figures of science and culture, whose immigration meets the interests of Ukraine – 730 people.
For persons who have carried out foreign investment activities in the economy of Ukraine in foreign convertible currency in the amount of at least $100,000, immigration is established without restrictions.
In addition, this year, 4,101 highly qualified specialists or workers can immigrate to Ukraine under a quota, the urgent need for which is tangible for the country’s economy.
Among other things, a quota of 99 people has been established for persons who have served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for three or more years.
For persons who have continuously lived in the territory of the state for three years from the date of establishing a status of victims of human trafficking for them, a quota of two people has been established.
As reported, in 2021, the immigration quota was 9,818 people.
The Government of Ukraine, two days before the end of 2021, approved a financial plan for it for JSC Odesa Port-Side Plant, which assumes a net profit of UAH 106.995 million.
Relevant order of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 1781 of December 29 was published on its website on Friday, December 31.
The financial plan itself is absent in the publication, however, according to its explanatory note published on the government website, due to a loss of Odesa Port-Side Plant in the 2020 tax declaration in the amount of UAH 5.02 billion, dividends are not planned for 2021.
The explanatory note does not contain other details of the financial plan, but it says about the intention to receive an overpayment of income tax in the amount of UAH 320.6 million by the end of this year.
Odesa Port-Side Plant manufactures chemical products, and is also engaged in transshipment of chemical products to sea transport.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has included a long loaf, and sunflower oil in the list of food products, the rise in price of which must be declared in advance by business entities selling them, and also prohibited setting a markup for rye-wheat bread and long loaf in excess of 10%.
The government decision is contained in government resolution No. 1432 dated December 30, 2021.
“The list of goods of large social significance approved by government resolution No. 341 dated April 22, 2020 shall be supplemented with paragraphs as follows: Long Loaf and Sunflower Oil,” the government said in the resolution.
In addition, the highest retail markup for rye-wheat bread and long loaf is set at no more than 10% of the wholesale selling price, taking into account advertising, marketing, logistics services, preparation, processing, packaging, and other services related to the sale to the end consumer.
This regulation is introduced for the period of quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to current government resolution No. 341 dated April 22, 2020, goods that have large social significance are subject to mandatory declaring of food price increases. These include buckwheat groats, granulated sugar, wheat flour of the highest grade and noodles from it, pasteurized milk with a fat content of 2.5%, rye-wheat bread, chicken eggs of the C1 category, chicken carcass, still mineral water and butter with a fat content of 72.5 %
A business entity is obliged to notify the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection about an increase in the price of these food products by more than 15% 30 days before the start of the application of the new price, 14 days with an increase by 10-15% and 3 days with an increase by 5-10%.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has reduced the deficit in the draft national budget for 2021 from 6% to 5.5% of GDP, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
“An opportunity has been found to reduce the budget deficit to GDP from 6%, as proposed at first reading, to 5.5%,” he said at an extraordinary government meeting on Thursday.
Thus, the deficit was reduced by UAH 24 billion, to UAH 246.35 billion.
In the initial draft, state budget revenues were determined at the level of UAH 1.071 trillion, expenses – UAH 1.331 trillion. The new wording of the bill provides for UAH 1.092 trillion in revenues and UAH 1.328 trillion in expenses.
As reported, the state budget for 2020 provides for a deficit of 7.5% of GDP.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine published a decree by which it amended the criteria for adaptive lockdown and extended its validity until the end of 2020.
The text of decree No. 956 dated October 13 on amendments to decree No. 641 dated July 22 was released on the government’s official website.
The decree restricts the opening hours of restaurants and other catering establishments from 22:00 to 07:00, and also tightens the restriction on holding mass events (no more than 50 people in the “green” zones, up to 30 people in the “yellow,” up to 20 people in the “orange”). The Cabinet of Ministers also banned spectators from visiting sports events, except for international ones, on which the Health Ministry will make another decisions.
In addition, it is recommended that all business entities organize shift work of employees, if it is technically possible to work in real time via the Internet while maintaining salaries.
It is recommended that institutions of general secondary education establish holidays from October 15 to October 30, 2020, and institutions of vocational and higher education from October 15 to November 15, 2020 switch to distance learning with the recommended departure of students from hostels, except for those who cannot do this.
According to the decree, the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection should strengthen public control over compliance with sanitary legislation and anti-epidemic measures in the work of preschool education institutions, catering, physical education and sports, and trade.
Local authorities are advised to use additional units of public transport in order to avoid crowding in it and monitor compliance with anti-epidemic standards in the implementation of transportation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to urgently assess the readiness of hospitals to help patients, to provide institutions with all the necessary equipment, given the rapid growth in the number of cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection in the country.
The Office of the President reported on Saturday that the head of state instructed the government to provide medical workers with personal protective equipment in full amount and to strengthen control over compliance with quarantine rules.
Also, the Cabinet of Ministers must revise the operation of the entry points on the administrative border with the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
“Ukraine knows how to mobilize if necessary. It’s time for the government to mobilize to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infection, which can have dire consequences not only for the economy, but also for our human capital,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
