PM asks Rada to appoint its quota to Central Bank Council to secure UAH 38 bln for budget

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has asked the Verkhovna Rada to get back to work and pass a decision to appoint the members of the Council of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) within the parliament's quota.

"I'd like to ask all the lawmakers and particularly [those from] two [parliamentary] factions to do us a favor – to unblock the Ukrainian parliament's work and pass at least two decisions. The first one is to endorse a decision on the NBU's supervisory council within the Verkhovna Rada's quota," he said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The transfer of UAH 38 billion from the NBU depends on this, he said.

"If the parliament fails, this may threaten social welfare payments, unfortunately," he added.

What is more, the parliament also needs to pass legislation to secure the return of the $1.5 billion to the national budget. The funds were stolen from Ukrainian taxpayers and later seized back.

As was reported earlier, leader of the Radical Party Oleh Liashko said on July 5 that his faction would block the parliament's rostrum and presidium together with the Batkivschyna Party, demanding the formation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into utilities tariffs. They also insist on the adoption of a bill ensuring the use of all domestically produced gas for the needs of Ukraine's housing and utilities sector. Their other demands include an investigation into corrupt deeds by senior Ukrainian officials.