Fighting the nationwide poverty must be the highest priority task for the new government to be formed in September. This was stated by OPPOSITION PLATFORM — FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin commenting on the Pension Fund’s statement about 70.4 percent of retirees getting a benefit under 3,000 hryvnia ($117 per month). 

“Three thousand hryvnia today is even lower than the real cost of living, according to the Social Policy Ministry (3,181 hryvnia in June 2019 prices for unemployable persons. — Ed.). More than 70 percent of Ukrainian retirees, 7.98 million people, are paid less than that, while 4.84 million of them are allowed only 2,000 hryvnia and less. This is the nationwide poverty that the new government must fight,” Lovochkin said. 

The politician stressed that the mere increase of the budget funds share in the Pension Fund will not solve the problem, because the share has already reached 181.7bln hryvnia or 43.5 percent. 

“The only solution is to increase the real income of citizens and the number of jobs, which means sharp increase in economy growth rates through investment attraction. The party of the state does voice its support for such agenda, but it doesn’t have a comprehensive program. OPPOSITION PLATFORM — FOR LIFE is the only party that has such program, including items on restoration of peace and sales markets. We are ready to put it to vote by the parliament and work together on its implementation, regardless of who’s at power and who’s in opposition,” Lovochkin said.