REUTERS
The Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policies claims the inflation rate in March indicates that an increased minimum wage did not influence price rise, according to the ministry's website.
Moreover, the price increase in March was an expected one and it did not exceed forecast calculations, according to the ministry.
Experts say raising the minimum wage was a step to de-shadowing relations between employers and employees.
Read alsoPrice growth in Ukraine accelerates to 15.1%"The state has forced entrepreneurs not only to increase salaries but also to legalize them. The money that today get into cash circulation in the form of salary payments was previously channeled into the economy anyway, through payments in 'envelopes.' That is, there is no additional pressure of cash on prices directly due to an increase in the minimum wage," the report said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the minimum wage in Ukraine has doubled from January 1, 2017, up to UAH 3,200.
Read alsoCabinet's low-case scenario: More than UAH 30 per U.S. dollar – mediaInflation in Ukraine in March 2017 accelerated to 15.1% year-over-year, whereas it accelerated to 1.8% against February 2017, the State Statistics Service said.
Since the beginning of the year, consumer price growth in Ukraine has accelerated to 3.9% compared to December 2016.