A bill to cancel a number of social benefits for 16 categories of people, including Afghan war veterans and people who did the cleanup work after the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, will not be considered at second reading until its provisions are agreed with the relevant categories of citizens.
Vice Prime Minister – Social Policy Minister Sergiy Tigipko promised this to protesters rallying outside the parliament building on Tuesday.
"This is the word of the prime minister and the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada," Tigipko told the protesters on the square in front of the parliament.
The minister said that he would be waiting at 0900 on Wednesday for representatives of the NGOs of Afghan war veterans and Chornobyl cleanup workers at the Ministry for Social Policy to hold a meeting of a working group to improve the bill on compliance with court decisions that cancel social benefits to 16 categories of citizens, which was passed by the parliament at first reading.
Tigipko promised not to put the bill for the second reading until a compromise is reached with the NGOs.
A rally was held outside the parliament building on Tuesday morning against the bill scrapping benefits to 16 categories of citizens, which was passed by the parliament at first reading.
Most of the protesters were Afghan war veterans and people who did the cleanup work after the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.
