Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the government and parliamentary coalition factions have decided to raise the minimum wage in Ukraine from January 1, 2017 to 3,200 UAH, the Ukrainian president said after talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.
“Starting from January 1, 2017, there will be no employed people in Ukraine who earn less than 3200 hryvnias. Moreover, I addressed the government and parliament to make every effort for this decision not to increase a single tax, first of all it is related to small and medium business”, he said.
According to the president, it is inadmissible that a man working full time earns the same sum of money as unemployed Ukrainians being on the dole, the press service of the president said.
“Along with building the Armed Forces, the first priority of the government is to fight poverty at the first opportunity. The aggression of Russia against our state is not an excuse for delaying reforms in war conditions”, he said.
Poroshenko said that the decision concerned over 4 million employed Ukrainians whose salary equaled 1,450 today UAH. According to him, public sector will find proper resources in the state budget and private sector will have a strict rule banning salaries less than 3,200 UAH per month.
“This decision is a struggle against poverty and protection of employed people. Separation of minimum wage from calculation of subsistence level provides faster growth of minimum wage in the coming years”, he said. (Interfax/Business World Magazine)