The formula “rich citizens is a rich state” is not about today’s Ukraine and, perhaps, not about tomorrow. The draft budget-2018 conserves the poverty of the majority of the population, strengthening the disproportions in financing the state and force apparatus, on the one hand, and the social sphere on the other hand.

It is impossible to change today, but we must change tomorrow. This is the essence of the amendments that the Opposition Bloc requires to include in the draft law on the budget.

Budget-2018 is the budget of the belligerent police state with low social standards and economic stagnation. Evidences: spending on higher authorities in comparison with 2013 increases almost 2.7 times, on the maintenance of force structures – 2.8 times, on the prosecutor’s office and courts – 2.7 times; at the same time, the growth of the minimum pension and subsistence level in comparison with the same 2013 is planned only for 57.7%.

For itself and for force structures, the government fully compensated for inflation of 2014-2017, and it saves on ordinary citizens and on supporting the economy. To support innovations in 2018, it is planned to allocate UAH 50 million – the same amount as for the maintenance of the Security Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office within one day.

The purpose of the proposals of the Opposition Bloc is to make the first step towards the budget of a peaceful, democratic, socially-oriented state with a growing economy.

Our proposal is to increase the financing of social articles by UAH 100 billion. It includes an increase in the subsistence minimum from UAH 1 700 to UAH 3 200.

This is an additional UAH 7.5 billion for payments and benefits to people with disabilities, low-income, orphans, Chernobyl victims and other categories entitled to social benefits.

This is an additional UAH 4.5 billion to return to differentiated payments for the birth of children. We propose to pay 52 subsistence minimums for the birth of the first child (UAH 146 thousand), for the second one – 60 subsistence minimums (UAH 196.5 thousand), for the third and more children – 120 subsistence minimums (UAH 337 thousand) for three years. In addition, our edits include a proposal to return the monthly allowance for a child care, setting it at UAH 2300.

The proposal of the Opposition Bloc is a minimum wage of UAH 5 000 and a minimum pension of UAH 3 500.

It is necessary to increase spending on education by UAH 9.7 billion, which will increase social scholarships to students, restore the old system of academic scholarships and increase the subvention to the regions.

It is necessary to raise funding by UAH 18.2 billion by sending money to the subvention to the regions, a reimbursement program (compensation of the cost of medicines) and rural medicine.

Our offer is an increase in expenditures for the development of the economy by UAH 28.6 billion. Among other things – UAH 4 billion to promote and stimulate exports, plus UAH 2 billion – to create industrial parks, plus UAH 1 billion – to support the coal industry, plus UAH 3 billion – to restore Donbas, plus UAH 3 billion – to support innovations and science, plus UAH 7 billion – on the development of regions.

Totally, the Opposition Bloc proposes to increase spending on social needs and economic development by UAH 128.6 billion. This money is available.

The revision of the macro forecast provides an increase in the revenue side of the budget by 63 billion hryvnia. This is a 5% increase in GDP, which will be achieved by increasing investments in the economy, and bringing inflation to the real figure – 11% (and not 7%, as the government forecasts).

Reduction of the content of the state apparatus and force structures will save UAH 60 billion. In comparison with the proposal of the government, our proposal includes a reduction in the expenditure items of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard, the Security Service, courts, the General Prosecutor’s Office and other organizations of the force block by UAH 47 billion.

In addition, we propose to increase the financing of the Defense Ministry in comparison with 2017 by UAH 2.9 billion, and not by UAH 14.5 billion, as proposed by the Cabinet. Optimization should be carried out by increasing transparency in procurement for defense needs.

An increase in the budget revenue by UAH 63 billion will increase its deficit by UAH 5 billion, without raising the bar of the maximum deficit. In total, we receive UAH 128 billion, necessary for people and the economy.

The amendments of the Opposition Bloc are the minimum that the state can and must give to its citizens today. The socio-economic development of Ukraine is able to go more rapidly – after the end of the military conflict in the east of the country and the restoration of lost markets. However, these are plans that go beyond the budget process this fall. These are plans that will be implemented only after changing the power.