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Customs clearance of medicines as humanitarian aid is blocked – business calls for urgent changes in the legislation

11/ 07/ 2022
  The European Business Association calls on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to make immediate changes to CMU Resolution No. 174 On some issues of the passage of humanitarian aid through the customs border of Ukraine under martial law dated March 1, 2022. It is necessary to unblock customs clearance and further supply of medicines that were imported into the customs territory of Ukraine as commercial cargo and are in customs warehouses, although these are the humanitarian aid designated to Ukrainian healthcare institutions. According to the EBA Health Care Committee members, it has been already one month as customs clearance of 229,247 packages of critical medicines, worth more than UAH 56 mln, including painkillers, oncological drugs, and immunosuppresses for the pre- and post-operative treatment, transplants, cardiovascular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ophthalmic drugs, antidepressants, antibacterial drugs, antihistamines, inhibitors, hormones are blocked. Thus, 20 recipients of humanitarian aid, namely clinical hospitals, medical centers, and a large number of patients in Ukraine are unable to receive the medicines requested by them as humanitarian aid. Resolution No. 174 regulates the passage of humanitarian aid through the customs border of Ukraine under martial law, however, the passage, customs clearance, and issuance of humanitarian aid imported to the customs territory of Ukraine before the introduction of martial law as commercial cargo, which is currently in customs warehouses, is not regulated. However, the cargo owners (donors), including members of the EBA Health Care Committee, initiated the registration and transfer of such medicines as humanitarian aid due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The EBA member companies report that the customs authorities do not carry out customs clearance of humanitarian aid imported as commercial cargo due to the absence of such a basis in Resolution No. 174. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and the military administration inform the representatives of companies and customs warehouses about the absence of a separate approval procedure for the provision of such humanitarian aid and refer to the need to apply Resolution No. 174. The European Business Association appeals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy, the State Customs Service of Ukraine with a request for assistance in the prompt clearance of medicines as humanitarian aid, imported as commercial cargo under martial law. The EBA provided relevant proposals for changes to Resolution No. 174 in its letter. We really hope that the voice of business will be heard! For reference: as of June 29, 2022, the member companies of the EBA Health Care Committee provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine of over UAH 6,62 billion including both targeted financial assistance and the handover of medicines to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, health care institutions and /or to other institutions and organizations.

The European Business Association calls on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to make immediate changes to CMU Resolution No. 174 “On some issues of the passage of humanitarian aid through the customs border of Ukraine under martial law” dated March 1, 2022. It is necessary to unblock customs clearance and further supply of medicines that were imported into the customs territory of Ukraine as commercial cargo and are in customs warehouses, although these are the humanitarian aid designated to Ukrainian healthcare institutions.

According to the EBA Health Care Committee members, it has been already one month as customs clearance of 229,247 packages of critical medicines, worth more than UAH 56 mln, including painkillers, oncological drugs, and immunosuppresses for the pre- and post-operative treatment, transplants, cardiovascular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ophthalmic drugs, antidepressants, antibacterial drugs, antihistamines, inhibitors, hormones are blocked. Thus, 20 recipients of humanitarian aid, namely clinical hospitals, medical centers, and a large number of patients in Ukraine are unable to receive the medicines requested by them as humanitarian aid.

Resolution No. 174 regulates the passage of humanitarian aid through the customs border of Ukraine under martial law, however, the passage, customs clearance, and issuance of humanitarian aid imported to the customs territory of Ukraine before the introduction of martial law as commercial cargo, which is currently in customs warehouses, is not regulated. However, the cargo owners (donors), including members of the EBA Health Care Committee, initiated the registration and transfer of such medicines as humanitarian aid due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The EBA member companies report that the customs authorities do not carry out customs clearance of humanitarian aid imported as commercial cargo due to the absence of such a basis in Resolution No. 174. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and the military administration inform the representatives of companies and customs warehouses about the absence of a separate approval procedure for the provision of such humanitarian aid and refer to the need to apply Resolution No. 174.

The European Business Association appeals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy, the State Customs Service of Ukraine with a request for assistance in the prompt clearance of medicines as humanitarian aid, imported as commercial cargo under martial law. The EBA provided relevant proposals for changes to Resolution No. 174 in its letter. We really hope that the voice of business will be heard!

For reference: as of June 29, 2022, the member companies of the EBA Health Care Committee provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine of over UAH 6,62 billion including both targeted financial assistance and the handover of medicines to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, health care institutions and /or to other institutions and organizations.

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