EBA Odesa Open Dialog with State Authorities: “Implementation of legislative changes aimed at improving the investment climate in the Odessa region”

25/ 04/ 2017

To discuss the implementation of these changes and their impact on the Odesa region investment climate, on April 25 the EBA Southern Ukrainian Office invited its member companies to a Discussion. Among the invited experts were Heads of various authorities, namely: First Deputy Head of the Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service in Odesa region Natalia Hulakova and Deputy Head of the Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service in Odesa region Volodymyr Popov; Chairman of the Reorganisation Commission, Head of the Specialized State Tax Inspection on Services to Large Taxpayers in Odesa of the Interregional Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service Victoria Talpa; Acting Head of the Central Administration of the State Labour Service in Odesa region Yehor Yeroshok and Head of Labour Administration in Odesa region Natalia Kozyreva; and Head of Electronic Registers Administration of the Central Administration of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Odesa region Iryna Cherniavska. During the discussion, participants paid attention to the Law On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine concerning investment climate improvement in Ukraine. In particular, they talked about restructuring local tax offices and distribution of the service, control and verification functions of the State Fiscal Service, amendments to VAT administration and recovery, and the advantages of the taxpayer electronic cabinet. For business, it was important to learn some issues of the grounds for and procedure of State Labour Service inspections in 2017, new sanctions for violation of Labour Law and how to best interact with inspectors. Speakers also highlighted the issue of legalisation of wages and employment, correction of errors in reports on single fees for obligatory state social insurance. It should be noted that in the first quarter of this year on the initiative of the Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, the authorities with whom we met conducted major explanatory work among employers concerning observation of the minimum wage. As a result, there are positive dynamics of the average wage in Odesa region. In January-March 2017 Odesa taxpayers paid 4 billion UAH to budgets of all levels (1 billion UAH more than in the same period last year). Also personal income tax, single fee and military duty increased. Guests came to the conclusion that the regulatory authorities would continue to contribute to the creation of favourable conditions for economic entities that faithfully pay taxes, create legal jobs and pay workers proper wages. We thank the authorities for the constructive meeting and willingness to cooperate with business.

To discuss the implementation of these changes and their impact on the Odesa region investment climate, on April 25 the EBA Southern Ukrainian Office invited its member companies to a Discussion.

Among the invited experts were Heads of various authorities, namely: First Deputy Head of the Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service in Odesa region Natalia Hulakova and Deputy Head of the Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service in Odesa region Volodymyr Popov; Chairman of the Reorganisation Commission, Head of the Specialized State Tax Inspection on Services to Large Taxpayers in Odesa of the Interregional Central Administration of the State Fiscal Service Victoria Talpa; Acting Head of the Central Administration of the State Labour Service in Odesa region Yehor Yeroshok and Head of Labour Administration in Odesa region Natalia Kozyreva; and Head of Electronic Registers Administration of the Central Administration of the Pension Fund of Ukraine in Odesa region Iryna Cherniavska.

During the discussion, participants paid attention to the Law “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine concerning investment climate improvement in Ukraine.” In particular, they talked about restructuring local tax offices and distribution of the service, control and verification functions of the State Fiscal Service, amendments to VAT administration and recovery, and the advantages of the taxpayer electronic cabinet.

For business, it was important to learn some issues of the grounds for and procedure of State Labour Service inspections in 2017, new sanctions for violation of Labour Law and how to best interact with inspectors. Speakers also highlighted the issue of legalisation of wages and employment, correction of errors in reports on single fees for obligatory state social insurance.

It should be noted that in the first quarter of this year on the initiative of the Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, the authorities with whom we met conducted major explanatory work among employers concerning observation of the minimum wage. As a result, there are positive dynamics of the average wage in Odesa region. In January-March 2017 Odesa taxpayers paid 4 billion UAH to budgets of all levels (1 billion UAH more than in the same period last year). Also personal income tax, single fee and military duty increased.

Guests came to the conclusion that the regulatory authorities would continue to contribute to the creation of favourable conditions for economic entities that faithfully pay taxes, create legal jobs and pay workers proper wages. We thank the authorities for the constructive meeting and willingness to cooperate with business.