Poroshenko signs 2015 budget changes into law

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed into law a number of important economic bills as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package, which includes changes to the 2015 national budget and pensions for working pensioners, his press office said on Tuesday.

"The president has signed a number of bills passed by the Verkhovna Rada on March 2, whose passage is one of the pre-conditions for granting Ukraine an extended IMF loan," the press office said.

In particular, Poroshenko signed bill No. 217-VIII "On amendments to the law of Ukraine on the state budget of Ukraine for 2015", according to which the country's key financial indicators must be brought into line with macroeconomic reality.

Poroshenko also signed bill No. 213-VIII "On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine on pensions", which temporarily restricts the size of pensions for working pensioners.

In addition, Poroshenko signed the following laws which were approved on March 2:

Bill № 211-VIII "On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine", according to which charitable aid for internally displaced persons is exempt from tax;

Bill № 212-VIII "On amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine", which expands the financial powers of local budgets;

Bill № 214-VIII "On amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine regarding income and tax agency officials";

Bill № 215-VIII "On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on controlling agency officials";

Bill № 219-VIII "On amendments to section VIII "Transitional provisions of Ukrainian law on the collection and accounting of the single state social insurance fee" on reducing the payroll burden to promote the legalization of wages."