Council of Churches opposes tax preferences for gambling organizers

This was stated by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations in appeals to the chairman of the Parliament and the leaders of factions and groups, according to IRS.

Religious figures confirmed their position against reducing taxation for gambling organizers during a meeting of the AUCCRO, which was held on December 15, 2021, under the chairmanship of UBS President Grigory Komendant.

Bill No. 2713d triples income rates for lottery operators – from 30% to 10% of income, and also almost halves the tax rate for bookmakers and casinos-from 18% to 10% of income. Such a legislative proposal destroys those minimal safeguards for the spread of gambling addiction that exist in the form of high tax rates and should remain in a civilized state where the authorities care about human dignity and the moral health of society.

In addition, the heads and representatives of Churches and religious organizations supported the initiative of the Parliament to create a government body that will deal with the problems of children but proposed to implement this by creating the Ministry of Family, Children and Youth Affairs of Ukraine.

Favorable childhood is impossible outside of the family environment. Moreover, the formation of state policy in the field of children, youth and families should be carried out by the ministry, and not by the civil service, which, as defined by law, cannot have such powers.

According to the AUCCRO, it should be a central executive authority that should drift away from the practice of ignoring the needs of children and families and performing punitive functions (taking away children, depriving them of parental rights, etc.), and become a state body that will identify problems in time and help families overcome difficult life circumstances.

The meeting of the Council of Churches was attended by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas. He noted the peace-building efforts of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and the initiative to exchange prisoners.

"The difficulties that Ukraine is experiencing today, especially those related to the war, are difficult to overcome only by human efforts. We cannot leave the burdensome issue of peace only to politicians and the military, because for people this is often an impossible mission. But nothing is impossible for God," the nuncio said.

The representative of the Holy See expressed the readiness of the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine to support the peace-building initiatives of the AUCCRO.

The meeting participants also discussed the details of the visit of the AUCCRO delegation to Budapest in January 2022, where high-profile meetings are planned.