MP Serhiy Lovochkin requires the Cabinet of Ministers to take into account the proposals developed by the Opposition Bloc faction to the draft state budget for 2018. He sent the relevant deputy request to the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman.

“Proposals to the budget-2018 from the Opposition Bloc are the minimum that the state can and must give to its citizens today. I propose to take measures without delay to ensure that proposals are included in the draft budget. I ask you to inform me of the results in the statutory period,” Serhiy Lovochkin emphasized.

The MP stressed that the draft budget prepared by the government preserves the poverty of the majority of the population, increases disproportions in financing the state and force apparatus, on the one hand, and the social sphere on the other.

“Budget-2018 is the budget of a belligerent police state with low social standards and economic stagnation,” the opposition leader said.

The Opposition Bloc proposes to increase the financing of social articles by UAH 100 billion and raise the subsistence minimum from UAH 1 700 to UAH 3 200.

“This is an additional UAH 7.5 billion for payments and benefits to disabled people, low-income, orphans, Chernobyl victims and other categories entitled to social benefits. Moreover, this is an additional UAH 4.5 billion for returning to differentiated payments for the birth of children. In addition, our edits include a proposal to return the monthly allowance for the care of the child, setting it at the level UAH 2 300,” the MP noted.

He added that the Opposition Bloc proposes to increase the minimum wage to UAH 5000 and the minimum pension to UAH 3 500. It is also necessary to increase spending on education by UAH 9.7 billion, and health financing - by UAH 18.2 billion.

“The Opposition Bloc proposes to increase spending on social needs and economic development by UAH 128.6 billion. The resource for this can be obtained through a revision of the macro forecast, which gives an increase in the revenue side of the budget by UAH 63 billion,” Serhiy Lovochkin said.

He is convinced that the reduction of the state apparatus and law enforcement agencies will also save UAH 60 billion. The Opposition Bloc proposes to reduce the expenditure items of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard, the Security Service, the courts, the General Prosecutor’s Office and other organizations of the force block by UAH 47 billion, to the state administration - by UAH 3.8 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 the Cabinet of Ministers proposes. Optimization should be carried out by increasing transparency in procurement for defense needs,” the politician noted.

According to him, an increase in the revenue side of the budget by UAH 63 billion will increase its deficit by UAH 5 billion, without raising the bar of the maximum deficit. In total, the budget will receive UAH 128 billion, which are necessary for people and the economy.