By KYIV. Sept 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at a meeting on Wednesday with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, outlined the main parameters of next year’s budget.
“The key is to protect our state and people. Defense and security are the first priority, and the funding for defense and security will be at least at the level of this year, i.e. one trillion six hundred billion hryvnias,” he said in a video message on Wednesday.
“Next year, we will add significant budget funds for the defense industry – for the production of weapons in Ukraine. And for the drones. Both for the purchase of what is needed abroad and for the Ukrainian production,” the president said.
According to him, “almost UAH 100 billion will be added specifically for the production of weapons, which is carried out by the Ministry of Strategic Industries and the Ukrainian army of drones, which shows very good, bright results.”
“A separate budget priority is to support our veterans. We also keep social expenditures as a priority. At least UAH 469 billion. There will be additional funds for the healthcare system – at least 24 billion plus to this year’s expenditures. There will be a plus for the education system, primarily to support teachers and lecturers,” Zelenskyy said.
“We are investing the necessary funds in digitalization, including our Mriia, a new tool for children, parents, and teachers that we have already presented in advance,” he said.
“Next year, Mriia should be fully operational and available to Ukrainians in every corner of the world!” the president said.
“We are adding incentives for the economy – production, jobs, investments. All the things needed to help Ukraine recover faster. This includes the connection to the power grid for investors, the continuation of grant programs, mortgage programs, and the development of Ukrainian industrial parks,” he said.
“I instructed the Prime Minister to prepare the basis for raising the minimum wage in Ukraine in the first half of next year,” Zelenskyy said.
“Absolutely all elements of state work must be adjusted so that we can determine the timing of the end of this war here in Ukraine ourselves. With our victory. Our weapons that will reach all the goals necessary for Ukraine. Our economy that will be able to provide Ukrainians with the jobs they need. Social functions of the state that must be fulfilled. State functionality, especially digital functionality, which must become more advanced than anywhere else in Europe,” the president said.
