09/15/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The Parliament adopted a law on transparent public procurements

The Parliament adopted a law on transparent public procurements

15.09.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The Parliament adopted a law on transparent public procurements.
• Laffer, an advisor to President Reagan and Prime Minister Thatcher, became an adviser to the Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
• A jubilee session of the UN General Assembly opened in New York .
• The real price of natural gas, produced in Ukraine is less than UAH 2 thousand per 1000 m3 (about $85/1000 m3).

Key Events in Ukraine

• The Verkhovna Rada called February 20, 2014 a date of the beginning of the Crimea occupation. From this date a law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens and on legal regime of the temporarily occupied territory came into force.
• At the third attempt, the law on public procurements, bringing them in accordance with the international standards and introducing the measures to fight the corruption, was adopted.
• The Ministry of Finance announced about the appointment of American economist Laffer, who advised US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, an adviser to the Minister Yaresko.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate remains stable: 22,00 ₴ / $ (+0,05 USD), 24,90 ₴ / € (+0,08 USD), 3,28 ₴ / 10 rubles (0.05 USD).

Ukraine at War

• The situation in the Donbass is gradually escalating, the number of shellings and militant attacks increases. As a result of a subversive group attack on the checkpoint near Debaltseve two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, one was wounded and two were captured by the militants. During the previous day as a result of shellings and a landmine explosion two other soldiers were injured . The observers and intelligence note the intensification of the subversive groups and combat coordination of the attackers, indicating special training, characteristic of the special forces of the Russian army.
• Deputy Head of the Anti-Terrorist Operation Sokolov gave the UN delegation evidence of the presence of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine. He stressed that the Ukrainian army strictly follows the Minsk Agreement.
• In Minsk was held a closed-door meeting of the working group to resolve the conflict in the Donbass. There are no reports on the results of the meeting. The discussion will be continued on September, 16.
• Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation detained three Ukrainian fishermen on the administrative border of the occupied Crimea.

Ukraine and the World

• In New York opened the 70th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly. Ukrainian delegation at the summit is headed by Foreign Minister Klimkin. A meeting of  Presidents Obama and Poroshenko, as well as talks between the “Normandy Four” states heads will take place during the session.
• The White House, in response to the Russian proposal for Putin and Obama to meet, said that such a meeting could take place, if it suits the American interests.
• Russian court extended the detention of Ukrainian deputy Savchenko for another six months. Savchenko’s  Attorney said that her sentence could be handed down already in October.

The Trends

• Foreign participants of the Yalta European Strategy  Forum are more optimistic about the prospects for Ukraine than the local businessmen and officials. Ukrainian participants complained about the existence of "the system" and "shadow government" that distributes cash flows from the largest state-owned enterprises and controls the solution of  issues in the power structures. To overcome such trends, the foreign visitors are advising to directly name the officials and corrupt politicians, serving the oligarchs, and to privatize state-owned enterprises, which are used by oligarchs and top officials to retrieve rent as quickly as possible .