KIEV, Dec. 23 – Parliament has passed a law which regulates gold mining by the National Bank of Ukraine and the law on relaxation of taxation on sales of precious metals to the central bank.

Draft laws No. 9440 and 9441 were supported by 266 and 265 lawmakers respectively on Thursday.

In autumn 2011 the National Bank of Ukraine obtained property of the Northern State Geological Company Pivnichgeologiya under a government order. The NBU said that gold reserves explored by Pivnichgeologiya are estimated at some 600 tons.