The draft of the new Customs Code may be submitted for consideration in the first reading by the Verkhovna Rada at the end of August, and could be adopted as a whole by the end of the year, as provided for by obligations to the European Union, head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy Danylo Hetmantsev has reported.
"We plan to submit it (the draft Customs Code - IF-U) for the first reading at the end of August, and in the second reading we plan to adopt it, as we are obliged to, by the end of the year. This is difficult because it is an ultra-large document, a very large document, and there are many questions about it, as with any large document," Hetmantsev said during the forum "Recovery of Ukraine: European Integration and Institutional Reforms" in Kyiv on Monday.
Hetmantsev emphasized that this is a large and deep document in which terminology is completely relaunched and European customs procedures are introduced, which is why there are many questions about it. In this regard, the head of the committee called for wide participation in the discussion of the draft in order to avoid possible mistakes during its adoption.
Separately, the MP drew attention to the presence of political issues surrounding the code, in particular regarding granting the customs service operational-search powers. According to his forecasts, with a high degree of probability, the bill will be voted on in the first reading without these changes, since the expansion of law enforcement functions is currently premature and possible only after the completion of the department’s reform and an increase in the level of trust from business.
As reported, Hetmantsev considered granting the State Customs Service law enforcement functions, in particular the right to operational-search activities, to be premature. He believes that this decision can only be considered after a full reform of the department and an increase in the level of business trust in it. Such a decision, in his opinion, could also lead to duplication of powers of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES), which was created as a single law enforcement agency to fight economic crimes in order to avoid pressure on business from various departments.
"First the reform - then the powers. Definitely not the other way around. I predict that with a high degree of probability, this bill will be voted on even in the first reading without these changes," the head of the committee stated.
As reported, the government registered the draft of the new Customs Code in parliament to adapt legislation to EU standards on May 28. The adoption of this document is a condition for providing Ukraine with the third tranche of macro-financial assistance from the EU worth about EUR 1.45 billion.
