The Ukrainian parliament has passed new laws aimed at mitigating the effects of novel coronavirus. The regulations introduce punishments for violating quarantine measures and lift some tax requirements, in order to provide financial relief for businesses, workers, and pensioners hurt by the economic slowdown.
Lawmakers passed four bills during a special parliamentary session in the early morning of March 17.
The parliament met to urgently consider a number of bills aimed to prevent the coronavirus spread. The session came one day after the government approved President Volodymyr Zelensky’s steps to intensify the quarantine by shutting down subways, public transportation between cities, and the closure of most the public spaces like restaurants and shopping malls.
Ukraine has reported seven cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus, with two of them having been registered on March 16 in Kyiv. The coronavirus has been confirmed in 182,700 people and killed 7,170 people worldwide.
Punishment
One of the new laws introduces criminal responsibility for the violation of sanitary rules aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Those who fail to follow the rules and are proven guilty will face up to three years in prison.
If these actions cause death or other grave consequences, individuals can be sentenced to five-seven years in prison.
The law also introduces punishment for violation of quarantine, sanitary and hygienic rules and anti-epidemic measures. Those who violate the restrictions will face fines from Hr 17,000 ($630) to 51,000 ($1,890), six months of arrest or up to three years in prison.
Lifting taxes
The same law temporarily lifts the value-added tax and duty for the import of medical goods to Ukraine. The tax-free list includes medicine and equipment necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Another law lifts most other penalties for tax legislation violations during the period from March 1 to May 31. The law also bans tax audits for people and businesses over the same period.
Payments for medical employees
According to one of the four laws, the government will give extra payments to employees of medical institutions and other individuals who work to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Their salary can up to double while the country is fighting the virus.
Employees’ leave
One of the passed laws rules that the leave employees take to follow the quarantine’s measures can’t be counted as part of their annual leave.
Officials declarations
One of the laws postpones the deadline for submitting electronic declarations. Instead of April 1, the Ukrainian officials will now have to submit declarations until June 1.
CORONAVIRUS IN UKRAINE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Ukraine shuts down public transportation, domestic travel, restaurants
- Kyiv intensifies quarantine, shutting down everything by supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, gas stations.
- There have been seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine. The first case was identified in Ukraine on March 3.
- One person died from the COVID-19 in Ukraine.
- Ukraine shut schools and canceled mass events starting March 12 to prevent the disease’s spread. Some schools resisted.
- Here’s how life in Kyiv is affected.
- Why the Kyiv Post isn’t making its coverage free in the times of COVID-19.
- Doctor’s advice: How to stay safe.
- Ukrainians evacuated from the disease’s epicenter in Wuhan, China spent two weeks in quarantine in a sanatorium in Poltava Oblast and were released on March 5. Their arrival in Ukraine caused unrest.
Effects on economy:
- Here’s what the virus is doing to Ukraine’s economy.
- Ukrainian businesses respond to the crisis.
- The virus disrupts the transport sector. Ukrainian airlines canceled some flights to 16 countries due to the novel coronavirus.
- The National Bank of Ukraine continued to cut the policy rate while trying to buffer the hryvnia from coronavirus panic.
