The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine backed at first reading bill No. 5009 with amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine regarding the simplification of connection to power grids. The bill was supported by 314 MPs without discussion.
The purpose of the bill is to significantly simplify the procedure for connecting customers to the power grids, reduce the number of procedures, documents and approvals, as well as significantly cut the time required for connection, remove artificial restrictions and remove barriers in the connection procedure, the website of the Verkhovna Rada reported.
The document is aimed at developing business and improving the investment attractiveness of Ukraine by improving its positions in World Bank’s Doing Business.
As Chairman of the relevant parliamentary committee and one of the authors of the bill, Andriy Gerus, said earlier, “the bill provides for simplification of land allocation and documentary procedures for regional electricity supply companies with the purpose of cutting the connection time by 60%.
According to an explanatory note to the document, today it takes over 280 days to connect in particular of a small bakery or workshop to the power grid. The reasons for this are the complex and bureaucratic procedure for registration of rights to land plots for energy facilities, necessary to ensure connections, a significant number of certificates and approvals.
In this regard, the bill abolishes the receipt of certain permits and approvals for connection, the solution of some issues is focused exclusively on the operator of the distribution system, it simplifies access to land plots for energy facilities.
According to the explanatory note, the single-stop mechanism is being implemented to provide customers and developers with design documentation for the construction or reconstruction of power supply networks, electrical installations, applications, inquiries, obtaining output data, information and statements necessary for design and construction and installation works, as well as for approval of the project documentation by the parties involved (authorities).
The Verkhovna Rada supported at first reading the amendments to Article 22 of the Law on advertising regarding the expansion of the law to electronic cigarettes and liquids used in them.
Some 284 MPs backed bill No. 4212, with the minimum required votes of 226.
The document provides for a ban on advertising of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, liquids used in electronic cigarettes, advertising marks for goods and services, other objects of intellectual property rights, under which tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and liquids used in electronic cigarettes are produced.
The bill prohibits the placement on any other goods of images of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, liquids used in electronic cigarettes, marks for goods and services under which tobacco products are produced (such as lighters and ashtrays).
It is also prohibited to sponsor television, radio, theater and concert, sports and other events using marks for goods and services, other objects of intellectual property rights, under which tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, liquids used in electronic cigarettes are produced.
According to the document, advertisements for electronic cigarettes and e-liquids should not contain images of popular people or approval of smoking or use of electronic cigarettes. Also, advertising should not give the impression that most people smoke or use electronic cigarettes.
According to an explanatory note to the bill, the ban on advertising of electronic cigarettes and the liquids used in them is aimed at preserving the health of the nation. The document is aimed at reducing the use of electronic cigarettes and the liquids used in them.
The Verkhovna Rada has approved amendments to the Land Code and other laws to improve the management and deregulation system in the field of land relations. Some 284 MPs backed at the final reading bill No. 2194.
As reported, the parliament began the second reading of bill No. 2194 on amendments to the Land Code and other laws to improve the management and deregulation system in the field of land relations on March 16.
The bill received 3,128 proposals and amendments, mainly from MPs from the Opposition Platform – For Life and Batkivschyna parliamentary factions.
According to the rules of procedure of the Verkhovna Rada, MPs cannot consider other issues until they finish consideration of the initiated bill.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament) adopted at first reading bill No. 5308, which proposes the issue of securities for UAH 20 billion for the implementation of the Affordable Mortgage president’s program.
The bill in the first reading was supported by 263 MPs. “The bill provides that the Ministry of Finance shall issue government domestic loan bonds… with the subsequent acquisition of shares in state ownership in exchange for the shares of the additional issue of Ukrainian Financial Housing Company to provide citizens with housing and resolve issues of financial and economic activities of the company in connection with the accession to the State Mortgage Institution,” one of the authors of the bill, a member of the Rada budget committee Lesia Zaburanna said from the rostrum of parliament.
Currently, the activities of the State Mortgage Institution are unprofitable, she added.
According to the lawmaker, the adoption of this bill will allow continuing the implementation of existing state programs and will allow in the short term providing about 8,000 mortgage loans for the purchase of housing. It would be possible to buy 12,000 apartments for subsequent transfer to financial leasing.
The Verkhovna Rada has reinstated criminal liability for declaring incomplete data and failure to submit a declaration, in particular, introducing a restriction of freedom for up to two years, if the declared information differs from the reliable one in the amount of more than 4,000 living wages for able-bodied persons.
The corresponding bill, No. 4460-d, was supported as a basis by 287 and 289 MPs in general at a plenary session on Friday.
The said bill proposes to amend Article 1726 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine (CAO), which clarify the subjects of this offense.
Also, these changes allow to impose administrative penalties under this article in the event that the information in the declaration of the person authorized to perform the functions of the state or local government will differ from the reliable ones in the amount of 100 to 500 living wages for able-bodied persons, and not from 100 to 250 living wages for able-bodied persons, as indicated in the current version.
The amendments proposed in the Code of Administrative Offenses, as a result, make it possible to raise the threshold of criminal liability for declaring false information.
The authors of the draft law propose to exclude Article 366-1 (declaration of inaccurate information) from the Criminal Code of Ukraine, but to supplement the Code with a new Article 366-2 (declaration of inaccurate information).
This article establishes criminal liability in the event that the declared information differs from reliable information in the amount of 500 to 4,000 living wages for able-bodied persons in form of a fine from 2,500 to 3,000 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or public works from 150 to 240 hours with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years under the first part of this article.
In the event that such information differs from reliable information in the amount of more than 4,000 living wages for able-bodied persons, liability is provided in form of a fine from 3,000 to 5,000 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or public works from 150 to 240 hours, or restriction of freedom for a period up to two years with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years under part two of this article.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed at first reading presidential bill No. 1017 amending Articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which proposes to reduce the number of Members of Parliament to 300 and elect them according to the proportional election system.
236 MPs voted in favor of the bill.
