Today, January 23, 2024, Law No. 3448-IX “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts on Simplifying the Procedure for Importing, Accounting and Distribution of Humanitarian Aid” came into force.
According to previous government announcements, the new law contains key provisions regulating the import and accounting of humanitarian aid. One of the main initiatives of the legislation is to simplify the procedures related to the import, accounting and distribution of humanitarian aid.
The law also establishes the mandatory use of an electronic system for recording humanitarian aid. According to the Ministry of Social Policy, the new platform, known as the Automated System for Registration of Humanitarian Aid, was launched on December 1. During this time, 3,053 recipients were registered using the system, and the total number of legal entities that have the right to legally import humanitarian aid into Ukraine exceeded 4,500.
In addition, the range of recipients of humanitarian aid has been expanded. Previously, this only applied to charitable foundations and public organizations registered in Ukraine with specific areas of statutory activity. Now, foreign charitable organizations and representative offices accredited in Ukraine have been added to this list. Non-profit state and municipal institutions, local governments, and social service providers can also be recipients.
Among other provisions that entered into force on the date of adoption, Law No. 3448-IX regulates the important issue of recognizing goods as humanitarian aid. In particular, goods purchased by charitable organizations abroad and declared as humanitarian aid upon import into Ukraine must be distributed free of charge to recipients within 90 days from the date of crossing the customs border in order to be recognized as humanitarian aid.
Important provisions of the law include the possibility of transferring vehicles to military personnel as individuals (recipients) as humanitarian aid.
According to the new legislation, during the period of martial law or a state of emergency, as well as within three months after its termination or cancellation, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has the right to establish a simplified procedure for recognizing aid as humanitarian, consider and make decisions on expanding the list of recipients of humanitarian aid.
It is noted that recipients of humanitarian aid have the right to distribute or redistribute aid between recipients in compliance with the intended purpose without additional consent from the donor. It is important to note that changing the recipient of humanitarian aid is possible only with the written consent of the donor, except for cases where such consent was provided at the stage of the proposal for the provision of humanitarian aid or is provided for in the transaction for the provision of such aid.
