Editor's Note: The Kyiv Post will be tracking the progress made by Ukraine's post-EuroMaidan Revolution leaders in making deep structural changes in the public interest. The Reform Watch project is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation. Content is independent of the financial donor.
1.Security & Defense
Parliament approved a bill increasing the size of the army from 184,000 to 250,000. President Petro Poroshenko signed the law that also introduces stricter punishment for deserters. Since mobilization started some 10,000 have reportedly abandoned their duty positions. Servicemen will face from 5 to 10 years in jail for insubordination and 3 to 7 years in jail for failure to execute an order that caused grave consequences, if it happened during martial law or during military action, according to the law.
2.Energy
Parliament increased tax on gas production provided to private consumers by big state companies from 20 to 70 percent. The tax will affect two companies Ukrgasvydobuvannia and Ukrnafta. While some industry experts consider this move unwise, others see it as logical step of the government pushed by the need to cover losses of Russia’s war and energy subsidies for the consumers who won’t be able to handle new energy tariffs. Meanwhile, National commission on energy regulation raised gas tariff for heat supply companies by 2.2 times to Hr 2,934 per 1,000 cubic meters while gas tariff for residents went up 3.3 times percent to Hr 3,600 per 1,000 cubic meters. The hikes are part of the memorandum with the International Monetary Fund.
3.Rule of law
Parliament stripped three judges of immunity for prosecution, opening way for their arrest. Judges Serhiy Vovk, Oksana Tsarevych and Viktor Kytsyuk all work at the controversial Pechersk Court in Kyiv, which produced a number of politically-motivated sentences over the years, including the verdicts against former Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, which were slammed by the European Court of Human Rights. Vovk, Tsarevych and Kytsyuk were involved in court investigations against Lutsenko while Tsarevych and Kytsyuk – against Tymoshenko. Prosecutor General’s Office is investigating them for unlawful rulings during the EuroMaidan revolution. “This is a very good tendency that we finally, a year on started bringing to responsibility people who were destroying any civil liberties and used court as mechanism of influence on Maidan,” Andriy Parubiy, first deputy speaker of parliament said. “It’s bad that it happened only a year after and bad that it’s just three judges.”
4.Public Administration
Parliament approved changes to the nation’s $20 billion state budget, and a set of austeriry measures to secure some $25 billion it financial assistance over the next four years. The budget is based on 21.7 hryvnia to dollarexchange rate, 26 percent inflation target. Additional Hr 12.5 billion ($500 million) was earmarked for energy subsidies on top of the Hr 12 billion that had been set aside previously. The targeted subsidies are meant to compensate low income households for the growing cost of energy. Moreover, the parliament cut pensions of retirees who continue working after retirement by 15 percent, except for those who make less than Hr 1,423 ($59). The lawmakers also approved the law that cancels some of the licences on export and import of holographic elements, recycling and primary processing of precious metals scrap, among other regulations to move the country’s legislation close to that of the European Union.
5.Land
The parliament set aside an additional Hr 300 million for affordable lending for farmers this week, and another Hr 250 million will go for support of animal farming. Moreover, three types of business activities related to agriculture will no longer require licenses, according to another new law. They are trade in pesticides and argo-chemicals, cattle breeding activities, and fumigation. A total of 20 types of licenses were canceled in various economic sectors as part of pro-EU drive.
