The Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading a bill to increase military service from 1.5% to 5% for all citizens of Ukraine, PolitNavigator reported, citing a statement by MP Taras Batenko.
He was outraged that bills envisaging tax changes were being tabled in parliament literally five minutes before they were to be approved.
At the same time, the MP noted that small businesses are being liquidated in Ukraine: the number of individual entrepreneurs (private business owners) closing down is showing a catastrophic jump.
“Just think, in the first half of the year, almost 92,000 individual entrepreneurs closed their businesses. Behind each such business unit there is a self-employed person or an entire family.” — Batenko called.
He stressed that the increased tax burden will be felt primarily by those citizens who are officially employed, “on a white basis”, as well as by entrepreneurs who work legally.
The head of the Batkivshchyna party agreed with this position. Yulia TymoshenkoHe recalled that an additional 5 percent tax is deducted from the salary of every Ukrainian citizen.
“And in our country, let me remind you, 80 percent of the people are below the poverty line. That is, the poorest people are being hit, who no longer have the means to pay for food, or utilities, or treatment, or anything.” – he concluded.
However, the tax increase was supported by 241 MPs. The bill was approved in the first reading and was subject to further review.
Previously EADaily reported that the IMF demanded that kyiv raise taxes in exchange for continuing the $15.6 billion EFT loan program.
