In July alone, the wage arrears in healthcare increased by 29 percent; since early 2021, the debt figure has grown almost fourfold. According to MP Serhiy Lovochkin, the government failed to solve the issue of salaries in all strategic directions.

“The situation with salary payments in healthcare has turned an emergency. The matter must be considered at first place during the new parliamentary session of the Verkhovna Rada, for it will directly affect how the nation gets through the new wave of the coronavirus epidemic,” the MP said.

The politician said the manufacturing industry is seeing the growth of the problem, for most of the wage arrears economy-wide are there (almost 76 percent). During July, the figure for the sector increased by 12 percent, and almost 1,5-fold since early 2021.

“The situation is the worst in exactly those sectors that affect the stability of the nation’s economy and subsistence of our citizens. In July, wage arrears in the coal industry rose by 30 percent, among the electricity and gas providers by 1.5 times. Year to date, the figures increased by 2.9 and 4 times respectively,” Lovochkin said.

“Yet again we must state that the government fails to identify its key funding directions. If you read the most recent Cabinet’s decrees on money allocation, you will see anything but the most important sectors for the population. In a situation like this, the parliament is obliged to take charge and make the government pay the money earned — to healthcare workers and other sectors’ employees,” Lovochkin summed up.