KYIV, Apr. 6 (Ukrainian News) – Parliament failed Thursday to introduce a 17 percent export duty on sunseed and ban the use of give-and-take schemes for its export.
With 225 votes, deputies fell on vote short of approving the second reading of the draft law.
During the session, deputies also failed to support the proposal by the Communist Party faction to ban give-and-take export schemes, but to leave the current 23 percent sunseed export duty.
On March 15 parliament approved the first reading of a draft law that reduced the sunseed export duty and banned give-and-take export schemes.
The government has been trying to convince parliament to cancel the sunseed duty since early 2000. The duty remains one of the main obstacles to continued cooperation between Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund.
The 23 percent sunseed duty was introduced in October 1999 and remains in effect until the summer of 2002.
Traders export sunseed without paying the duty by using give-and-take schemes and taking advantage of free-trade regimes.
