President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov visited the tent city of businessmen protesting against the Tax Code, located at the Independence Square in Kyiv, according to the Press office of President Viktor Yanukovych.
"First of all, I would like to say that I understand your position. We should take a look at this Code in general," Viktor Yanukovych said.
He suggested that representatives of the businessmen created a joint working group with the Government to discuss amendments to the Tax Code. At the same time, the team of experts will be working through the document at the Presidential Administration, to provide its preliminary assessment to the President by November 29.
The President of Ukraine expressed readiness to meet with representatives of the joint working group of businessmen and representatives of the Government on December 2, in order to discuss possible discrepancies.
Referring to his own criticism of the Tax Code, Viktor Yanukovych said: "I object this Code strengthening administrative pressure of the Tax Administration on business. I strongly object that. If there is any increase in pressure, we will remove it. If veto is necessary, it will be imposed.
"The probability of veto is very high. But we can talk about it after we consider the Tax Code together," the President of Ukraine said.
"The goal we all have is one: to bring the economy out of the shadow and stimulate the development of the country and business with tax policy. And it meets the interests of the people," President Yanukovych said.
"I am ready to work together with you on the Tax Code and complete it with ‘wisdom’,” Viktor Yanukovych said.
At the same time, he said he does not rule out making personnel decisions: "If there is a need for that, if I see that there are grave procedural violations, which have caused this situation, and if personnel decisions are needed, I will make those decisions."
Speaking to the businessmen, the President stressed the necessity to take their proposals to the Tax Code into account, so that the state got a real instrument of legalization and deregulation of the economy.
Viktor Yanukovych has accepted an invitation of the businessmen to tea and visited one of the tents, used as the kitchen.
Answering businessmen’s questions about their problems, particularly corruption of state officials, the President said: "I will do everything to eliminate corruption in the government. But this cannot be done overnight. And we are allies in this question. Who does suffer from corruption the most? The people do. The business does. And I am interested in overcoming this plague."
