You're reading: Yanukovych vetoes the tax code

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has announced that he has vetoed the tax code recently approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

"Today, I vetoed the tax code," the president told journalists on Tuesday at Boryspil Airport before he took a plane to Astana for an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit.

Yanukovych said that the government had set up an ad hoc group to work out amendments to the tax code, which could be sent to the parliament on Thursday.

"Today, the government has set up an ad hoc group made up of representatives of the president, and small and medium businesses. Today and tomorrow, the group will work out amendments to the Tax Code, which I will consider on Thursday. If they meet the current requirements for the Tax Code, I will sign them and send them to the parliament," the president said.

Earlier, Yanukovych instructed the government to revise individual provisions of the new Tax Code.

"The Tax Code needs to be revised in some sections. I am hoping to hear from you exactly which sections must be changed," Yanukovych told the economic sector ministers at Kyiv’s Boryspil Airport.

He gave the ministers until Thursday to complete the task, with an emphasis on those sections that have to do with the defense of manufacturers and the rights of businesses.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev, Deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov, Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych, presidential chief of staff Serhiy Liovochkin, his first deputy Iryna Akimova, and his deputy Olena Lukash.

Mass protests have been going on in Ukraine against the new Tax Code for more than two weeks.

Watch the video online: http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/akciyi-protestu-na-maydani-nezalezhnosti-videotranslyaciya.html