KYIV. March 28 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) voted on Thursday in favor of adopting a government-proposed bill intended to help prevent a financial catastrophe in the country and create conditions for its economic growth.
The document was supported by 246 MPs, an Interfax correspondent said.
This bill, along with earlier adopted amendments to Ukraine's 2014 budget, is crucial to the country's efforts to secure financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund and other international financial organizations.
Among other steps, the document proposes raising taxes, excises and other fees, a measure which, the Ukrainian government believes, should help increase the budget's revenue by approximately 44 billion hryvni a year.
The first attempt to pass this bill failed at the Verkhovna Rada, where only 189 MPs, instead of the required 226, supported it.
The second vote on the bill was held an hour later.