The Parliament adopted a package of decisions to protect businesses

The Parliament counted quarantine as force majeure

At its today’s extraordinary meeting, the Ukrainian Parliament passed draft laws aimed at helping various branches of power combat the consequences of the spread of the coronavirus disease and rendering support to business in the current conditions.

The proposed measures suggest:

• rapid procurement of supplies, works and services needed to eliminate and prevent the epidemic through a negotiation procedure reduced to 1 day;
• possibility of 100% prepayment for supplies and services to prevent and combat the coronavirus epidemic;
• exemption from import duties and VAT on medicines and medical devices purchased to fight the coronavirus;
• opportunity for the population to work from home or stay home from work;
• ban on public supervision and control measures;
• quarantine is counted as force majeure;
• extended terms for receiving and providing administrative and other services;
• prevention of the cessation of housing benefits, registration of the unemployed and verification of displaced persons;
• administrative liability for violation of the observation period and criminal liability for intentional infection of other people;
• additional allowances for medical staff and those working to eliminate the coronavirus epidemic (up to 200% of salary + bonuses);
• amendments to articles of the Labor Code on the terms of paid leave.

Specifically, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law No. 3220 introducing amendments to the Tax Code on the support of taxpayers for the period of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 359 MPs voted in favor of the document.

The law bans fines for violations of the tax legislation from 1 March to 30 April 2020, imposes a moratorium on desk and physical checks from 18 March to 18 May 2020, and extends the deadline for submitting annual income and property declarations until 1 July this year.

The document exempts from charging and paying land fees from 1 March to 30 April 2020, as well as from paying the real estate tax.

The Parliament also passed the draft law No. 3219 amending certain legislative acts of Ukraine that seek to prevent the emergence and spread of coronavirus. 344 MPs voted in favor of the document.

One of the provisions of the anti-coronavirus draft law is the opportunity of local authorities to restrict public transport. Furthermore, the document imposes administrative and criminal liability for violation of the observational rules and intentional infection of other people as a measure to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease.

In addition, the Parliament adopted:

• the draft law 2538 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine aimed at increasing the availability of medicinal products, medical devices and other supplies procured by a person authorized to make healthcare procurements” (290 votes in favor);
• the draft law 2539 “On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on increasing the availability of medicinal products, medical devices and other supplies procured with the state funds and creating conditions for healthcare procurements with the state funds” (295 votes in favor).

The Parliament also changed its work schedule for the quarantine period. From 23 March to 3 April, MPs will work in committees.

As reported earlier, authorities of many cities independently imposed/are imposing restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections without waiting for a parliamentary decision. Specifically, Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Lutsk, Uzhhorod, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi and other cities shut down all shops and catering facilities, leaving only grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations open to public.