The version of the draft state budget for 2017, submitted by the government to the Verkhovna Rada, can result in growing social tension in society and lead to the decline of vital sectors for Ukraine’s development. The chairman of the political council of the “Ukrainian Patriots Association – UKROP”, MP Taras Batenko said it during the public discussion of the budget in the Verkhovna Rada.
“The draft document contains numerous social distortions that may lead to growing tension in the society, and the problems with financing of certain industries that may arise if the proposed version of the budget is approved, will be a time bomb for Ukraine’s future,” said Taras Batenko.
According to the MP, rise of social standards by ridiculous 10% is cynical against the background of the radical increase in judges’ salaries, who will receive 50 times more than an average citizen from 2017. The society may hardly accept an increased funding of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, at the time when health and housing benefits for the military are planned to be cancelled, said Taras Batenko.
The MP has also drawn his colleagues’ attention to the plans of the Cabinet of Ministers to suspend the law on Scientific and Scientific-technical activity and charge local budgets with financing of education and medicine. The latter, according to the politician, may disrupt the educational process, particularly in rural areas.
Financing of Energy Efficiency Fund and the Road Fund are also in question, as it is planned to allocate funding less by times than required.
According to the UKROP representative, the document, presented by the government, is prepared basing on high expectations on income, as declared sources of income from special confiscation and amber mining are not even supported by the law. In addition, revenues from privatization are questionable because of dependence on the political situation.
“Ukrainian Patriots Association” calls on the Government and the Verkhovna Rada to protect the interests of the Ukrainian citizens, and not the interests of the “right” people and government bodies while finalizing and adopting the budget,” said Taras Batenko. The MP has called on the government officials and parliamentarians to refine the draft document, taking into consideration the common sense and disregarding party affiliation of those who make certain proposals for improving the budget.
