The bill titled "Buy Ukrainian, Pay to Ukrainians," which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada at first reading on December 7, directly violates the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, as well as the country's obligations within the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has said.

"First and foremost, the bill contradicts the provisions of the agreement in the section 'Public Procurement' on the principle of non-discrimination between foreign and domestic economic operators in trade in goods and services in the field of public procurement. The final adoption of the document will demonstrate Ukraine's failure to keep its word and develop business in a civilized, non-discriminatory manner," she wrote on her Facebook page.

In her opinion, the final adoption of the bill will create prerequisites for mirror protective restrictions by the EU for Ukrainian goods and services and will affect domestic exporters.

In addition to problems with foreign partners, she believes, the authors of this document will inflict the greatest damage on those who they allegedly began to defend, since an endless supplementary list of supporting documents for participation in tenders will only significantly complicate the participation of domestic producers in the public procurement system and distort the ProZorro system.

"It [the list] will return us to the times of non-transparent schemes, entail the enrichment of 'their own' suppliers, additional expenditures of the state budget, and this money will be taken out of the pocket of taxpayers," she said.

"It's a pity that, hiding behind the protection of national manufacturers, the people's deputies are actually proposing to preserve the backward economy, where there will be no place for innovation or modernization, where the competitive field will narrow, but corruption will flourish. I want to hope that a true, rather than manipulative and declarative discussion of the norms of the bill will cool hotheads down," she said.

Earlier, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Maksym Nefyodov wrote on his Facebook page that the bill violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

Earlier, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed at first reading a bill "Buy Ukrainian, Pay to Ukrainians" (bill No. 7206), which in particular introduces the share of local components no lower than 20% in bids submitted to participate in public procurement tenders.