Zelensky signs legislation to support healthcare, business during quarantine

Ukrainian President Zelensky signed on Mar. 18
legislation to halt the spread of coronavirus, to ensure access to medical
supplies and pharmaceuticals, to support state healthcare workers, and to
support business during the quarantine. The legislation removes duties and the
value-added tax from imports of medical supplies to cope with the virus.
Healthcare workers gain a bonus that triples their monthly salary. A state
enterprise has been created to purchase pharmaceuticals, eliminating existing
intermediaries.

The legislation also freezes fines for tax violations,
late or failed payments of the single social (security) tax, and late or failed
tax reporting. Tax inspections are suspended until May 31. Meanwhile, the state
will not disqualify the quarantine period when determining the term for
calculating pensions and other state social payments. The president also signed
legislation imposing fines and imprisonment for those violating the quarantine.
Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko asked the cabinet “to strictly require”
businesses to allow workers to work from home when not required to travel.

Two people have died in Ukraine from the COVID-19
disease, with the second fatality occurring on Mar. 17 in a 33-year-old woman.
Sixteen patients are confirmed to have been infected as of noon, Mar. 19, only
two more from the prior day, as reported by the Center for Public Health of
Ukraine. Among those reported as infected was MP Serhiy Shakhov, who returned
from Europe on Mar. 11.

Zenon Zawada: The
government is taking the necessary measures to deal with the coronavirus
pandemic. Only so much can be done when the healthcare system was is such poor
condition to begin with. Given that effective rule of law is so essential in
this surviving crisis, we see the attitudes and social norms of Ukrainians –
towards upholding rule of law and avoiding corruption – improving as a result
of these emergency conditions. So we see positive things emerging from this
crisis, especially if fatalities are kept to a minimum, which is currently the
case.