Ukraine's parliament on Friday passed legislation freeing all goods and services provided by UEFA for the 2012 European Championships from tax charges, according to dpa. The former Soviet republic and Poland are co-hosts of the Euro 2010 tournament, to be played in June 2012. A strong 335-member majority out of Ukraine's 450-seat parliament approved the measure, whose supporters said would probably reduce the cost of tickets sold in the country by 10 to 15 per cent. Ukraine's government, now engaged in a furious effort to get ready to host its share of Euro 2012, had come in from criticism that attending games or using concessions at the championship would be too expensive for average Ukrainians. A typical monthly salary in Ukraine is some 250 dollars, less than the expected price of a front row VIP seat at the Euro 2012 final, to be played in Kiev's Olympic Stadium. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in recent comments called preparing for Euro 2012 a top priority for his administration, despite continuing delays, particularly in hotel construction and transportation infrastructure repair. A UEFA inspection team is scheduled to visit Ukraine at the end of May to determine if any of the four Ukrainian cities currently slated as game venues, should be sacked for insufficient preparations.
