Editor’s Note: The following is a statement issued on Nov. 19 by the leadership of protestors opposing the government’s tax reform plans.
After the presidential elections in Ukraine, the situation in our country has worsened, especially for us, small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs). We are no politicians, we are men and women, people ready to pay state taxes, but in accordance with a transparent procedure. We love our country; that is why we cannot stand aside when our lives are being ruined.
On Nov. 18, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted a new Tax Code, which was drafted and submitted by the government. The Code was adopted without proper discussion and without taking into consideration the interests of entrepreneurs. It was adopted by, less than 100 MPs who voted on behalf of 269 colleagues. This fact utterly discredits Ukraine’s parliamentarism and the adopted law. The Tax Code will completely destroy the middle class in Ukraine. It deprives millions of Ukraine’s citizens of their rights, robbing them of a minimal means of existence and survival. In particular, it introduces a right for tax authorities to arrest taxpayer’s assets without a court decision, thus violating generally-accepted property rights. Indeed, the Tax Code gives the tax authorities unprecedented powers that will
help them to rob entrepreneurs blind.
Defending their own money from taxation by sending it into offshore accounts, the ruling oligarchs are placing the fiscal burden on small and medium-sized businesses.
As regards the economy, the citizens of Ukraine have been pushed to the edge of the abyss. Entrepreneurs are subjected to highly intrusive checks a without any notice. During such checks the activity of their enterprise is stopped and bribes are demanded from them. Enforcement and fiscal bodies are raiding many enterprises, violating all procedural norms. Entrepreneurs are even forced to pay bribes to get VAT refunding.
In recent months mass protests were held in cities and towns across Ukraine. Entrepreneurs and employers, who try to create a future for the country with their work and inventive capacity, took part in them. We are the members of different business associations and unions of entrepreneurs. We are not involved in politics. The protests all over the country were neither organized nor inspired by any political party. First it was spontaneous, then we organized in reaction against the intention of the authorities to deny our rights to have jobs.
Being driven into despair, we created a National Coordination Council to dissolve the parliament which voted to support the anti-entrepreneurial and anti-national Tax Code. We delivered our demand to the president.
We will not step back.
With this address we not only want to express our feelings of despair, but to ask you for your support and help in explaining to President Viktor Yanukovych that this Tax Code must be vetoed.
We believe that this assault on freedom in one part of the planet is a challenge for the whole world.
Our ULTIMATUM to the President of Ukraine regarding the unacceptability of the Tax Code: We emphatically oppose the adoption, signing and introduction of the Tax Code. The Tax Code will destroy small and medium-sized businesses, depriving millions of working citizens and their families of a means of existence. The Tax Code ruins the middle class as a basis of democracy and civil society. The Tax Code is adopted in the interests of big business which relieves itself of the responsibility for public prosperity. Defending their own money from taxation by sending it into offshore accounts, the ruling oligarchs are placing the fiscal burden on small and medium-sized businesses.
We demand from the president:
– In case of the Tax Code adopted, to veto it urgently and to oblige the government to recall it;
– For the crime against small and medium-sized businesses, which is fixed in the draft of the Tax code, to fire its authors – Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Deputy Prime Minister Sergiy Tigipko and Head of State Committee of Enterpreneurship Mikhaylo Brodsky.
If Viktor Yanukovych does not fulfill these demands and puts into force the Tax Code, it will mean that he takes personal responsibility for all the negative consequences caused by its introduction. If the Tax Code is put into force we will be forced to defend our right for life, our right for entrepreneurial activity, and other civil rights and freedoms through termless strikes and actions of civil disobedience.
If Viktor Yanukovych signs this Tax Code we will start collecting signatures for holding an all-Ukrainian referendum for Yanukovych’s resignation, dissolving the parliament and announcing early presidential and parliamentary elections.
We appeal to local councils of all levels:
– To urgently call extraordinary meetings of the councils and evaluate the Tax code
– To support our Ultimatum and address to the President regarding vetoing the Tax Code Because of the adoption of the Tax Code by the majority in parliament we call people to gather for civil action on November 22, 2010, at 10.00 a.m. in front of the Presidential administration building (the city of Kyiv, 11, Bankova St.) with a demand that the President of Ukraine urgently vetoes this Tax Code.
If Viktor Yanukovych signs this Tax Code we will start collecting signatures for holding an all-Ukrainian referendum for Yanukovych’s resignation, dissolving the parliament and announcing early presidential and parliamentary elections. We declare that a Council of National Coordination to fire the president and to dissolve the parliament has been formed.
We invite representatives of entrepreneurs’ unions, civil organizations and all active citizens to join the Coordination Council. We call all citizens of Ukraine to support this Ultimatum, to join our struggle to keep entrepreneurship and support democracy, justice and civil freedom in Ukraine.
