News Ukraine

On Monday, 13 February, a meeting of the parties forming the government agreed on a proposal by the Ministry of Finance that vehicles seized from drunk drivers could be handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For the moment, the main criterion is that the vehicle must be in running order, in line with the requests for assistance made by Ukrainian government bodies.

The vehicles seized from drunk drivers which are then taken over by the State Revenue Service (SRS) are mostly relatively old and with high mileage, but in running order. It is therefore planned that the SRS could make proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers for the transfer of vehicles seized from drunk drivers to the Ukrainian government. Currently, the SRS receives on average 5–6 decisions per day on vehicles seized from drunk drivers.

If the SRS has any questions about the transfer of a vehicle to the Ukrainian government, the SRS will, if necessary, contact the organisers of the assistance to Ukraine. The SRS will also assess whether other vehicles belonging to the State, which have come into the possession of the State otherwise than as a result of seizures from drunk drivers, are in running condition – there are no plans to outsource this. The revenue foregone for the State budget if the vehicles belonging to the State are transferred to the Ukrainian government depends on the number of vehicles transferred and their technical condition.

The Cabinet of Ministers will decide on the transfer of specific vehicles to the Ukrainian government for general support and assistance. This will be another way in which Latvia will help Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Currently, the SRS, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, is preparing all the necessary information so that the Saeima can decide on the necessary changes to the legislation in the near future.