Government Action Program, MPs requests for information, and prohibition on public hearings on environmental issues: new bills in the Parliament

Status: adopted in the first reading, could be revised before the second reading.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, civic activists, entrepreneurs, government bodies, and local government.

What does it change: the bill proposes to cancel all planned public hearings on environmental impact and prohibit further meetings during the lockdown and next 30 days after it ends. Instead, all public discussions on planned activities are supposed to be conducted by receiving comments and proposals.

What is wrong:

• public hearings are a tool for cooperation between citizens and government. If public hearings are prohibited, people will not be properly engaged into policy-making on issues directly affecting their lives. That will make state policies less effective and legitimate;
• to avoid spreading the virus, it is better to just postpone public hearings instead of canceling them.

Status: under revision before the vote.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, territorial offices of executive bodies, ministries, and the Government.

What does it change:

• the Program defines key activities planned by the Government:

  • implementing countermeasures against the pandemic, providing financial and social aid (short-term);

  • stimulating the economy, raising standard of living, building a ‘safe country’, and making state more efficient (long-term).

• if the Parliament adopts the Government Action Program, the Cabinet will receive a one year immunity from vote of no confidence.

What is wrong:

• 12 of 23 parliamentary committees have recommended the Verkhovna Rada to send the Government Action Program back for revision;

• the Program does not contain some substantial information — deadlines for reaching planned objectives, financial calculations, planned results, and potential risks.

For more details on the Government Action Program, please read our blog

Yellow cards for the Government Program: parliamentary sabotage or an expected trend.

Status: adopted in the first reading, could be revised before the second reading.

Who is affected: MPs, government bodies, local government, heads of companies, establishments, and organizations, NGOs.

What does it change:

• the bill proposes to allow electronic submission of MPs requests for information;
• person designated to answer MPs requests is obliged to give reasoned answers to all legitimate questions;
• MPs requests for information can be answered via email.

What is right:

• the bill strengthens parliamentary control over government bodies and local government;

• more precise requirements will force government bodies and local government to provide substantive answers instead of trying to dodge the questions.

Status: adopted in the first reading, could be revised before the second reading.

Who is affected: local communities and local government.

Why this is important: Lviv oblast council uses a re-registration mechanism to put pressure on Lviv city council. Income tax from state utility companies located in Lviv goes to city budgets of the localities where the companies were re-registered. In the meantime, Lviv hospitals provide services both to local patients and patients from the oblast.

What does it change: the bill proposes to make re-registration of public utility companies outside their localities possible only with consent of a respective city or town council.

What is right: new regulations should prevent unwarranted re-registration of state utility companies out of their localities.

What is wrong: the question of fair income tax distribution (the one taking into account the number of patients and services provided) remains open. The second phase of healthcare reform may solve this problem.