Photo from UNIAN
Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has outlined the Ukrainian government's priorities for 2016, which include, inter alia, the creation of new jobs, development of new sales markets, improvement in the education and health care sectors, etc., according to the Information and Communication Department of the Secretariat of Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers.
Commenting on the government's goal to create new jobs, the prime minister said: "We will continue the tax reform, deregulation of the economy and its de-monopolization. Recent tax changes have been made to meet demands of local businesses. In turn, we expect mutual support from employers in order to purge the country of corruption and tax evasion."
Yatsenyuk also stated that the government is planning to pursue a policy aimed at opening new sales markets for Ukrainian products.
"We will focus on making use of all the opportunities opened by a free trade zone agreement with the European Union. Our country's special trade missions abroad to promote Ukrainian exports will be another focus," the prime minister said.
Yatsenyuk also announced a pilot project to be implemented in 2016, which envisages building new regional schools and hospitals amid creation of strong local communities.
"Thus, in addition to new financial opportunities and authorities, decentralization will open high-quality standards in education and health for the people," the prime minister said.
"We will continue building roads, developing border infrastructure, modernizing railway transport, which will ensure that Ukrainian people have free and comfortable conditions for travelling within the country and to the European Union," Yatsenyuk added.
Fair privatization is another priority for the government, Yatsenyuk said. He recalls that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has failed to vote for a new bill on privatization eleven times, while the bill seeks "to attract billions of dollars of investment and is able to ensure fair rules for selling state-owned enterprises."
He urged the deputies to allow the government to conduct a transparent privatization that will raise new investment and create new jobs.
In addition, Yatsenyuk said, the government would continue its work to simplify the system of administrative services.
"The focus will be placed on reforming the State Fiscal Service. The management of a number of Ukrainian customs offices will be transferred to leading foreign companies as an emergency measure to counter corruption and abuse of office," he said.