Draft Law on Mobilisation, Documentary Customs Inspections

Parliament Approves Draft Law on Mobilisation in First Reading

On 07 February 2024, the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading the draft law No.10449, which provides for new rules of mobilisation, military registration and service.

Read more about the draft law in the article by Vladyslav Kepko, Senior Associate, Head of Employment and Military Law Practice at Syrota, Dzis, Melnyk & Partners.

Government Proposes to Launch Documentary Customs Inspections

According to the information provided by the Permanent Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers to the Verkhovna Rada, on 6 February 2024, the Government approved a draft law on the resumption of documentary customs inspections from 1 March.

Thus, the draft law proposes, if there are safe conditions for conducting inspections, to:

restore the powers of customs authorities to conduct documentary checks of compliance with the requirements of the customs legislation of Ukraine, including the timeliness, accuracy, completeness of the calculation and payment of customs duties when moving goods across the customs border of Ukraine;
resume documentary audits that were initiated and not completed before 24 February 2022;
provide for the submission of acts on the results of documentary inspections, the procedure for delivery of which has not been completed by 24 February 2022, within 60 days from the date of entry into force of this Law.

In addition to the above, the draft law also proposes to introduce a moratorium on customs inspections in the temporarily occupied territories, as well as in the territories of hostilities and possible hostilities.

Law on Simplifying the Change of Land Use Designation for Energy and Industrial Facilities Adopted

On 06 February 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading the draft law No. 9627, which provides for a simplified procedure for changing the designated purpose of land for the construction of industrial and energy facilities.

It is noted that this law is important for improving the investment attractiveness of Ukraine’s economy, as it allows a potential investor who intends to build industrial and energy facilities in Ukraine to change the designated purpose of the relevant land plot in just one and a half months.

Financial Institutions are Obliged to Use Risk-Based Approach in Dealing with PEPs

In its letter No. 25-0005/9103 dated 06 February 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine recommended that banks and non-bank institutions use a risk-based approach when dealing with politically exposed persons (PEPs).

The NBU emphasised that assigning a high level of risk to all PEPs without exception, or refusing to establish business relations with such clients solely on the basis of the fact that the person performs significant public functions, does not comply with the risk-based approach.

At the same time, the NBU provided recommendations for financial institutions to ensure proper application of the risk-based approach to PEPs.