KYIV. Sept 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian government has decided to raise its social standards in agreement with the IMF three months ahead of schedule (from September 1 instead of December 1), as it has received confirmation of non-random increased revenues to the budget and the improving economic situation in the country, Minister of Finance Natalie Jaresko has said.
“We are very cautious about the resumption of economic stability and would not like to make any moves until we have assurance that we really have non-equity resources to improve social standards,” Jaresko said at a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv.
“In late August we put together the puzzle that the economic situation has stabilized and positive trends in the budget fulfillment are not random,” she added.
She said that the stable hryvnia exchange rate, the slowdown of inflation and the pace of economic decline, the better than expected performance of the central and local budgets, as well as the restructuring of external debt were all taken into account.
Jaresko clarified that this premature rise was negotiated with the IMF.
“We are staying within the framework of the program,” she said.
According to her, the 2015 national budget deficit after such an increase will remain within the planned framework.
