Arseniy Yatsenyuk appeals to political coalition forces: When it concerns vital changes for the country, everyone should assume responsibility

"Each Government member, together with those political forces that have formed the Cabinet of Ministers, shares responsibility with the coalition for the future of the state. The leaders of the political forces do not have a right today to engage in populism and try to receive cheap political dividends," stressed the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk at the meeting of the Government of Ukraine on Wednesday, December 24.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk reminded that on December 23, the Cabinet of Ministers had submitted to the Parliament a reform package, "which envisages reforms in tax, budget, customs, fiscal areas, also deregulation, taxation of large business, change and optimization of approaches to social spending, real facilitation to do business and reducing the burden on small and medium business".

He stressed that the Verkhovna Rada had taken into consideration all necessary legislative acts, "I believe that the Parliament will not demonstrate politician [principles – ed.] but principles of statehood to the changes that are crucial for the country. With these slogans all political forces were entering the elections, and now it's time to give answers to very clear questions, what these reforms mean".

"The Government has provided its vision, and this vision is the first step to make the year of 2015, at least, a year of stabilization. At most, in 2016, if we make all the necessary changes - and not just adopt the laws, as they have to be followed, in 2016, we have the prospect of economic growth. Despite the fact that 20% of the Ukrainian economy was lost," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

The next few days the Government will work with the Parliament on the reform package, the Prime Minister emphasized, "I just remind all Parliament’s members and all coalition factions: it is a coalition Government. Each faction is represented in the incumbent Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Each member of the Government, in synergy with the political forces that have formed the Government, is responsible, as is the coalition, for the future of the state. And the leaders of the political forces have no a right today to engage in populism and try to receive cheap political dividends".

"When it comes to vital changes for the country - this means that everyone takes responsibility. We, as the Government of Ukraine, have assumed this responsibility. We have offered a clear plan of reforms much needed for the country," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

According to him, if the political forces "possessed higher political will, the reform plan would have been far deeper and more radical, similar to those reforms in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia”, "But even the first package submitted by the Government, has already caused certain political resistance. They are worried about the ranking. One should not think about the ranking, but how to facilitate the country to develop, and neither tomorrow nor the day after tomorrow, but for the years to come. The poles did that twenty years ago, thus, today it is one of the key European economies. That’s as they weren’t thinking about tomorrow. They were thinking what it would be in a year and five."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on all the leaders of the political coalition forces, "Petro Poroshenko Block, the Batkivshchyna party Yulia Tymoshenko, our partners from "Mutual aid" and the Radical party formed a coalition, voted for the Action Programme for the Government, delegated members to the Government, gave promises to the people of Ukraine. Now all that's left is to fulfil".

"We are ready for the most vigorous activity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," added the PM.

"Throughout the day there will take place meetings of all profile committees of the Parliament. And now the ball is in the court of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The time for indiscriminate criticism has ended, as one should first read the laws, and then express one’s position on them. Now, in essence, each article of a law, each provision of a legislative act, all members of the Ukrainian Government will participate in meetings of the relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada", he stressed.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk accentuated the need to adopt the first package of 15 laws in the first reading at the nearest session of Parliament, "Only aftermath they can approve the law of Ukraine on the State Budget. Indeed, basing on a new tax, fiscal and customs legislation and social legislation there were calculated revenues and expenditures of Budget 2015".

The Prime Minister appealed to the Verkhovna Rada members with a request to ensure the VR committees approve in the first and second reading and in general those bills, in case there is no disagreement concerning them.

He also highlighted the need to adopt a law on transfer pricing, "to prevent extra profitable large business hiding their income in offshore areas".

We should legalize, completely unveil the entire shadow and illegal business existing in the country," he was quoted as saying. He added these types of business “exist, but pay both a bribe into the pockets of officials and extra profits into the pockets of the owners of this business, mention also a gambling business".

"The bills submitted by the Government include higher responsibility, including criminal responsibility, for illegal business that exists today, which has become quite a frequent target for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Our task now is to just close the business, and all that meets international standards is to legalize, tax and the money – to direct to the budget", stressed the Head of Government.

“With regard to certain innovations, we have already adopted, let me remind you that the Government has endorsed 5 packages of anti-corruption laws. Today one of such laws shall enter into force, the one which paves the way for the disclosure of information in relation to immovable property owners,” the Prime Minister informed.