Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has forecast that the Verkhovna Rada will adopt the new Tax Code by November 19.
"We expected to adopt it [the code earlier], but due to certain factors not depending on us, we failed to do so. Now we have set the date of November 19 so that from December 1 we can already start considering the budget on its basis," the government's press service quoted Azarov as saying at a meeting with representatives of a mission from the European Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Kyiv on Friday.
According to Azarov, certain progress has been achieved in the settlement of the problem related to NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy's deficit.
"The problem has been 90% resolved - we've reduced the deficit drastically. We're taking a number of measures to get closer to 1% of Naftogaz's deficit," he said.
As reported earlier, the Ukrainian parliament on October 7, 2010, approved the draft Tax Code tabled by the Cabinet of Ministers at first reading. The second reading is scheduled for the next plenary meeting between November 16 and November 19.
The government suggests that the Tax Code should come into effect as of January 1, 2011, and the national budget for 2011 should be built on its basis, while businesses consider this a violation of the Tax Code, and propose that the introduction of the Tax Code be postponed.
