The volumes of buying and selling currency online by individuals in Ukraine in 2019 were almost equal – $1 billion each, according to the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). According to the report, the abolition of restrictions on buying currency online for individuals did not lead to pressure on the foreign exchange market – about 7% of the cash market operations simply switched to online banking platforms.
“The National Bank will continue currency liberalization in the future. In particular, after the implementation of the split law, the National Bank will allow selling currency online not only to banks, but also to non-banking financial institutions that will come under the supervision of the NBU from mid-2020,” the regulator said.
As reported, on February 7, 2019 the law on currency and currency transactions entered into force. It foresees the introduction of more than 20 exemptions in the foreign exchange market. In particular, online purchase of foreign currency by individuals is allowed, while transferring funds in foreign currency between individuals (except relatives) will still be prohibited.
At the same time, from November 5, 2019 the central bank canceled the daily limit on the purchase of foreign currency and banking metals, which amounted to UAH 150,000.
Only one in four (25%) Ukrainians supports the idea of shifting the celebration of Christmas from January 7 to December 25, while 64% of the citizens are against, according to a survey conducted by the Sociological Group Rating on December 5-8.
According to the survey, 25% of Ukrainians surveyed support the idea of postponing Christmas celebrations from January 7 to December 25, 64% of respondents are against such an idea, another 7% said that they were indifferent to this issue and 4% found it difficult to answer.
It is noted that the number of those who support the shifting of the date of the celebration of Christmas has increased in dynamics (in 2016 only 15% supported this idea, 69% were against it).
Thus, the majority of supporters of the idea of transferring Christmas are in the west: 43% support and almost the same number of respondents do not support. In other macro-regions, the respondents were more likely to oppose the shifting: 23% in the centre supported the idea and 66% were against, in the south – 15% and 74% respectively, and in the east – 14% and 74%. In addition, wealthier people, and middle-aged and older respondents support this initiative a little more.
The Sociological Group Rating polled the population of Ukraine of 18 years and older. The sample is representative by region, type of settlement, region, age, and gender. Some 2,000 respondents were polled through personal formalized interview (face-to-face). The study representativeness error is not more than 2.2%.
As many as 29% of Ukrainians support the passage of a bill on the land market by the Verkhovna Rada in the first reading, while 64% disapprove of this, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found after conducting a public opinion poll.
The poll showed that 11.4% of respondents fully support the Rada’s passage on November 13 of legislation allowing the sale of land and another 17.3% are inclined to support it, while 15.4% are inclined to disapprove of this decision, 50% are completely opposed, and 5.9% were undecided or refused to answer.
If a referendum on the sale of agricultural land was held in Ukraine next Sunday, 22% of Ukrainians would support it, 59% would vote against, 14% would not cast their ballots, and 5% said they were still undecided.
The KIIS polled 1,500 respondents aged 18 and older using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) on November 22-25.
More than half of Ukrainians do not approve of the lifting of the moratorium on agricultural land sales, and 64% believe that this issue should be resolved in a referendum, according to a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS)on September 16-19, 2019. According to the survey, 52% of respondents do not approve of the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to lift the moratorium (ban) on the sale of agricultural land until October this year and the introduction of land sale until December this year. Some 35% of those surveyed are positive about this order, while 13% of respondents had difficulty answering the question.
Some 64% of respondents believe that the issue of agricultural land sale should be solved only in an all-Ukrainian referendum, and 26% believe that the issue should be resolved by the president, the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers, while 10% of respondents could not answer the question.
Director General of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) Volodymyr Paniotto noted that the number of opponents of land sale has decreased over the year – 72% were against the land sale in November 2018.
The survey was conducted by CATI method (computer-assisted telephone interviews) based on a random sampling of mobile phone numbers. The sample is representative of the adult population of Ukraine (18 years and older). The sample does not include territories temporarily not controlled by the authorities of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. During the survey, 1,500 interviews were conducted. The sampling error with a probability of 0.95 does not exceed 2.6%.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky took part in festivities on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Independence of Ukraine.
At the Alley of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, the head of state announced a moment of silence for those killed during the Revolution of Dignity.
“We begin the Day of Independence of Ukraine from the place where the best sons and daughters of Ukraine gave their lives and their future to preserve our independence. And today, our future says ‘thank you’ to all of them. May the memory of the deceased live forever,” Zelensky said.
The president of Ukraine and his wife also laid flowers to the Cross at the Alley of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.
After the ceremony of hoisting the State Flag of Ukraine and performance of the State Anthem by the combined military orchestra of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the head of state congratulated Ukrainians on the 28th anniversary of Independence. He noted that August 24 was the most important day for Ukraine.
The president thanked the military men, who defend Ukraine in Donbas.
Zelensky also urged all Ukrainians to unite and build the country together.
“We are different. But we are united. We must be united, because only then we are strong. We should understand that we have to count only on ourselves. Not to quarrel over the past, but to unite for the future. Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking, regardless of age, gender, religion, we must be one people. Not on posters, not on slogans, but here. In everyone’s heart. We must move forward, build the country together, do the impossible together,” the president said.
At the same time, he expressed confidence in the future development of the state because of the new generation formed in times of independence.
“Today, an entire generation, born in independent Ukraine, has already formed. For them, this is a normal state of affairs. It can’t be different for them. And that’s wonderful. Because this generation is our mental foothold. Foothold for freedom, democracy and development. They think differently, they think in a modern way, which means that Ukraine will only move forward,” he said.
The head of state also presented state awards in the framework of marking the 28th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.
A small percentage of Ukrainians are familiar with the contents of the Constitution of Ukraine, according to a survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation together with the sociological service of the Razumkov Center for the Center for Political and Legal Reforms. According to the release published on Thursday, almost half of the population (47%) has not read the text of the Constitution and about a third (32%) read only certain sections of it. Only 11% of the population is familiar with all sections. Of those who are acquainted with the contents of the Constitution, half did it in order to know their rights.
Almost half of the respondents (46%) know that, according to the Constitution, the people of Ukraine are the bearers of sovereignty and the source of power in the country, while 34% believe that the president is such a subject, with 8% found it difficult to answer this question.
“The majority of respondents (58%) view the Constitution as a means of securing human rights and freedoms, and at the same time only 17% of respondents believe that it should establish responsibilities for a citizen,” organizers of the survey said.
Among the majority of respondents, the conviction remains that the highest state bodies and officials constantly (38%) or often (43%) violate the Constitution. Among the reasons for the violation of the Constitution, most often mentioned was the neglect of laws and the right of officials (59%).
Almost two thirds of respondents (60%) are convinced that violation of the Constitution is unacceptable under any conditions and only 11% admit that the authority can violate the Basic Law if it contributes to faster decisions that will benefit society. At the same time, 18.5% believe officials can violate the Constitution if the goal is to benefit society.
“In relation to violations of the Constitution, Donbas region is highlighted, where 31% of respondents believe violating the Constitution is warranted if doing so benefits the public interest,” survey organizers said.
More than two thirds of those polled (67%) said the Constitution needs to be changed, with 35% believing this a topical issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Some 32% are sure that such changes are necessary, but only after the situation has stabilized in the country. Only 12% do not see the need to change the Constitution, while 20% don’t have an opinion.
The prevailing view is that an independent body including representatives of various branches of government and independent experts should propose changes to the Constitution. This position was supported by 37% of respondents. Only 18% believe the task should be entrusted to a special agency under the president, with 17% saying a special parliamentary commission should propose the changes. Only 13% said they would entrust the task to scientists and expert organizations of civil society.
If the new Constitution is adopted, the citizens consider the All-Ukrainian referendum as the best way to approve it (41%). Some 24% are ready to entrust this matter to a specially selected body and 19% to parliament.
More than half of citizens (56%) do not trust the Constitutional Court, while 22% of respondents trust the Constitutional Court.
