Policy Progress: The Profile VRU Committee Supported Draft Law #8544 on Strengthening the Responsibility for Damaging the Telecommunications Infrastructure

The Parliamentary Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement supported Draft Law #8544 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine (regarding Strengthening Liability for Intentional Damage to Telecommunications Objects, Termination of Illegal Enrichment by Means of Operations with Scrap Metal)".

The Draft Law was registered by the group of the Members of Parliament led by Oleksandr Danchenko, Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Informatization and Communication. This legislative initiative is aimed at strengthening the responsibility for the theft of telecommunication equipment and components of telecommunication networks, that leads to the violation of the integrity of telecommunications objects and cause damage to such objects, for the purpose of illegal enrichment via further operations with scrap metal.

The Chamber Mobile Telecom Committee was actively advocating the improvement of current legislation with a view of ensuring favorable conditions of doing business in Ukraine, in particular in telecom sphere. The adoption of the Draft Law will help to avoid multimillion losses caused by theft of telecommunication equipment and damage to telecommunication networks, cable and radio relay communication lines and violation of the integrity of the wells of the cable sewer telecommunication. For instance, according to Telas association, during 2015-2018 more than 100 thousand cases of networks’ theft and damage were recorded, resulting in losses for the telecommunication industry worth more than 1.4 billion UAH.

We would like to thank VRU Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement as well as MP Oleksandr Danchenko for openness to dialog with the business community and supporting such important amendments aimed at protection of telecommunication infrastructure. We will continue our cooperation in the future for the development of stable and predictable conditions for doing business in the mobile telecom sphere, thus improving investment climate in the country.