On Thursday, 10 March, the Saeima adopted in the second and final reading urgent amendments to the Law on support for the civilian population of Ukraine, which sets out additional mechanisms for Ukrainian civilians to receive support.

A new out-of-family care institution— emergency guardianship — has been introduced for children who have arrived to Latvia from Ukraine without their parents. The law provides that a person to whom an unaccompanied child arrives may become an extraordinary guardian, as well as a person who has been granted the status of guardian or adoptive person in Latvia, the status of foster family or host family, as well as a person with whom an unaccompanied child has arrived together in Latvia.

If a local government does not provide a place for a child in a pre-school education programme implemented by a local government educational institution and it is acquired in a private educational institution, the local government shall cover the costs for this private service provider in accordance with the procedures and in the amount laid down in the Education Law and the laws and regulations subordinate thereto.

Changes have been made to the law to ensure continuity of drug therapy for patients with chronic diseases, if they have a valid prescription issued in Ukraine. If narcotic or equivalent psychotropic drugs are necessary for the continuation of drug therapy, then a resident of Ukraine needs a consultation of the relevant physician specialist in Latvia, who will prescribe the medicine on the Latvian prescription form. Given that as a result of hostilities individuals may have been prevented from receiving medicines in Ukraine, it will be permissible to receive this medicine also in case the validity of the Ukrainian prescription has expired for a maximum of 14 days, says the explanatory note to the draft law.

When entering into employment, Ukrainian civilians will be entitled to a one-off start-up allowance in the amount of one minimum monthly wage exempted from personal income tax. It is also stipulated that the employer is entitled to employ the Ukrainian people without having to undergo the initial compulsory health check. Ukrainian citizens, who are pharmacists and assistant pharmacists, will be allowed to work for pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers or medical institutions.

Furthermore, Ukrainians will have the right to use public transport free of charge, carrying passengers on a subsidised regional route.

Amendments to the law also provide support to Ukrainian civilians who enter Latvia with animals, fleeing the armed conflict caused by the Russian Federation. The Cabinet is to determine the procedures by which the animals will be registered to ensure compliance with the minimum health requirements.

In order to facilitate the procedure for making donations by the state-owned companies, the law provides for a special procedure for making donations for general support of Ukrainian society. It is also envisaged to apply a zero-percent rate of value added tax to supplies of goods which are provided free of charge to public benefit organisations in Latvia or transferred to an entity recognised by another Member State of the European Union for the purpose of providing general support to the Ukrainian society.

The law will enter into force on the day following its promulgation.

Saeima Press Service