Adoption of bill on taxation of parcels is step towards defeat in war, - Butusov
The adoption of Bill No. 15112 on the taxation of parcels could have disastrous consequences for the supply of the Defence Forces.
This was written on Facebook by Yurii Butusov, commander of the unmanned systems platoon of the ‘Khartiia’ brigade, reports Censor.NET.
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"Last week, the tax committee recommended Bill No. 15112 for a vote in principle. It is due to be considered by the Verkhovna Rada tomorrow. And the consequences could be catastrophic not only for drone manufacturers, but also for the supply of our defenders," he emphasised.
Butusov noted that the adaptability of the Defence Forces is ensured by the rapid supply of components.
"Today, a huge number of critically important items enter Ukraine via AliExpress, Temu and other international platforms. These are not only components for FPV, but also ammunition, remote controls, FPV goggles, chargers, cables, pouches, torches and dozens of other items that our soldiers order for themselves every day. These types of goods account for 10–20% of all orders from China.
"Bill 15112 effectively introduces additional taxation on such parcels," he explained.
The commander noted that as a result, components and equipment will become at least 20% more expensive.
"Delivery times will become significantly longer. Small drone workshops, volunteers and some military units will simply stop being able to bear these costs.
And most importantly, the Ukrainian market is physically incapable of quickly replacing the volumes of goods and components currently supplied by China. This could take years.
Meanwhile, in the EU, such matters are handled by the tax authorities. In Ukraine, this will fall to customs, which is already overburdened. The consequence is obvious: massive delays, chaos and a boom in ‘grey’ schemes and smuggling, because the goods will still be transported — only now ‘under the table’," noted Butusov.
Ukraine has now effectively managed to impose its own rules on Russia in the field of FPV drones.
"And just at a time when the front line needs even more drones, the state risks using its own hands to start stifling the system that is holding the front line. We need to implement EU rules, but not as botched as is currently being proposed.
MPs, don’t shoot yourselves and the army in the foot. Bill 15112 in its current form is a step towards defeat in the war," he concluded.
