Cabinet expects local budgets revenue growth to $7 bln

The official said that the government included over UAH 250 billion ($9.5 billion) in local budget revenue in the draft budget for 2018. Part of the fee for licensing and holding of lotteries will become a new source of revenue for local budgets.

Excise tax rate for produced and imported fuel will remain unchanged.

Read alsoBudget 2018: Hryvnia's rate expected at UAH 30.1 to dollar at next year-end"As for the state programs related to local governments next year, up to UAH 10 billion ($382 million) will be allocated for the national regional development fund together with the subventions for the combined territorial communities. Some UAH 4 billion ($153 million) in subvention is to be channeled for the development of rural healthcare, UAH 600 million ($22.9 million) in sectorial aid is expected to come from the EU, and there will be a subvention for sports infrastructure development," the press service quoted Zubko as saying.

Read alsoNBU concerned of possible large budgetary payments putting pressure on forex market at year-endAs UNIAN reported earlier, the revenue of local budgets in Ukraine grew by 44% in 2016 from 2015, to UAH 144 billion, or nearly US$5.5 billion, due to decentralization reform.

The budget revenue of 159 integrated local communities more than tripled in 2016 from 2015, to UAH 3.3 billion, or $126 million.