The chairman of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy, Danylo Getmantsev, stressed the need for an immediate review of social standards in Ukraine during the current session of the Verkhovna Rada.
According to Getmantsev, the key tasks are to ensure a real subsistence minimum, which currently does not meet either the nominal or actual needs of citizens, as well as to overcome pension injustice. He outlined several steps to achieve these goals:
The Ministry of Social Policy is expected to submit to the Verkhovna Rada clear proposals for reforming the pension system.
The budget for next year must provide for a significant increase in the minimum pension. Getmantsev plans to submit and defend a proposal to double it.
The parliament should stop dragging out the process of abolishing special pensions for certain groups, as the difference between the minimum and maximum pensions currently reaches 165 times.
Hetmantsev also stressed that the reform of social standards concerns not only pensions, but also an increase in teachers’ salaries and the resolution of other pressing social issues.
He acknowledged that defense remains the top priority of the state, but emphasized that social issues should be the next in importance. These aspects should be taken into account both when forming the state budget and in the general agenda of the parliament and other government bodies.
