In the second reading, the Verkhovna Rada voted for draft law No. 5420 on the criminalization of smuggling. 248 deputies voted for it.
The draft law was adopted in the version in which amendments proposed by business representatives were made. It is important for cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and receiving macro-financial assistance of €1.5 billion from the European Union.
The bill envisages, in particular, a five-fold increase in the threshold of liability for goods smuggling, and a two-fold increase for excise goods. It also proposes criminal liability for smuggling: from January 1, 2024 for excise goods and from July 1, 2024 for the rest of the goods.
Detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security will have the right to conduct pre-trial investigations in criminal proceedings, but only after the agency is reloaded.
- Bill No. 5420 was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in 2021.