People’s Deputy, the Party of Regions parliamentary faction member Vasiliy Khara, introducing at the tribune of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine draft “On making alterations to the Law of Ukraine “On the living wage”, stated the following:

- It is necessary to reestablish previous status of the living wage, which was unfortunately damaged by Parliament in 2005 through the Cabinet of Ministers’ proposal. Alluding to the economy’s mire potential, the Cabinet of Ministers then suggested embodying the living wage index into the budget law and artificially adjusting the living wage to the budget means.

Precisely because of this, during four years the state budget has set down three or even four living wage indices, actually spun out of thin air, but not impartially counted up depending on the real cost of a list of products, commodities and services – the so-called consumer basket – at the prices in the moment of preparing the state budget. It resulted in that workers did not receive full wages, pensioners – pensions, students – scholarships and the poor – social aid.

That is why my colleagues and I by the Party of Regions’ orders elaborated a draft to resume status of the living wage. This draft implies that the living wage for one person, as well as for those who belong to main social and demographic groups of population, is annually ratified by Verkhovna Rada through a separate law presented by the Cabinet of Ministers until the beginning of the budgetary process.

The Cabinet of Ministers works out all social figures of the budget for a particular year just on the basis of the living wage law approved by Verkhovna Rada.

Through passing this law we will improve social protection of our citizens considerably, promote their living standard and level up Ukraine’s social standards to the European ones at least a little bit.


The Party of Regions Press Service