Due to the economic crisis, almost half of Ukrainian citizens have ended up below the absolute poverty line, but acting administration is incapable of changing the trend. This was stated by OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin.

“It’s been seven years now since most our citizens survive instead of just living. While the official subsistence rate in 2013 was at 99 percent from the real one, in 2020 it only reaches 56 percent of it. The government’s attempts to save up on social expenses is the major reason behind the fact that almost half of the citizens live below the real subsistence rate, which means below the absolute poverty line. Almost two in three Ukrainians consider themselves poor,” Lovochkin said.

The politician cited the data from Social Policy Ministry that 41.5 percent of Ukrainians in 2019 spent less that the real subsistence rate. Meanwhile, the economic crisis of 2020 might drive this figure up to 50.8 percent, according to UNICEF. And the State Statistics Service says 65.3 percent of Ukrainians citizens consider themselves to be poor.

“Obviously, the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has deteriorated the social and economic situation significantly. The reaction to this challenge should have included extraordinary measures to support the people and the economy. They should have increased assistance to the most unprotected categories of the population during crisis and restart the economy, thus providing its high and stable growth rates. But we see none of this. Even a shy attempt of state protectionism — the draft bill on state procurance location — has not been implemented for several months now,” the MP said.

According to him, public policy must be reviewed completely with consideration of the national economic interests.

“All ideological cliches of previous years must be forgotten, and decisions should be made around just one criterion — the benefit for the manufacturing industry and the economy in general. The nation needs cheap energy resources, the measures to support its own market, and promotion of Ukrainian goods on foreign markets. This is the only way for Ukrainians to stop being poor and for the nation to stop being an international beggar seeking loans around the world,” Lovochkin summed up.