PM Yatsenyuk says pensions in Ukraine will grow by 13% on average / Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said during a TV program "10 Minutes with the Prime Minister" broadcast late this week that Ukrainian pensioners would get supplemental payments for September and increased pensions for the following month as of October 4.
Last week Ukraine's parliament gathered the constitutional majority to support a government-prepared bill on an increase in wages and pensions, he said.
"The average increase will be between 13% and 19% for wages paid to highly skilled personnel and 13% for pensions," he added.
"The supplemental payment to the pensions paid for September this year will be available in October. As of October 4, Ukrainian retirees will get both the supplemental payment for September and increased pensions for October," Yatsenyuk said.
Speaking about personnel of budget-sustained companies and institutions, the prime minister said that they had already got advance payments.
"Therefore increased wages and salaries will be paid to state-financed employees in the first ten days of October," Yatsenyuk added.
According to him, the local budgets have enough funds to pay increased salaries to state-financed personnel, as budget decentralization allowed for accumulation of 40% of additional budget revenue.
"The national budget allocates its due sum of funds, while the local budgets also have necessary amounts to fully ensure all increased social standards in keeping with a decision taken by the Cabinet of Ministers," he added.
What is more, Yatsenyuk said, the Verkhovna Rada secured the constitutional majority to back up the government's plans to restructure and write off Ukraine's sovereign debt.
Therefore, Ukraine will be able to write off $3.6 billion in debt owed to private creditors.
"This lets Ukraine save about $5 billion on payment of interest by 2040, while enjoying a grace period in the next four years in payment of principal debt. This lets Ukraine proceed with the stabilization of the financial and economic situation," he said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's parliament on September 17 passed bill No. 3060 on amendments to the law on the 2015 national budget, under which revenues of the budget will be increased by UAH 14.3 billion. A total of UAH 10 billion in additional budget receipts will be funneled into raising social standards.
On the same day, the parliament gathered the constitutional majority to approve a package of government-prepared bills to restructure part of Ukraine's sovereign debt, as was agreed with the Ad Hoc Creditors' Committee late in August 2015.