President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky plans to discuss the issue of adding dormitories to the Big Construction program with the Infrastructure Ministry, the prime minister and the Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Utilities Ministry, according to the press service of the Office of President of Ukraine.
“We will discuss with the Infrastructure Ministry, the prime minister and the Regional Development Ministry a possibility of adding construction of dormitories in Ukraine to the Big Construction program,” he said during a working visit to Khmelnytsky region on June 3, during which he checked the implementation of the program.
The head of state said that during a meeting with the rectors of the top universities on June 2 he was informed that one of the major problems in higher education is the lack of student dormitories with good conditions.
The program provides for the construction of five schools, kindergartens and sports complexes in each region, he said, adding that all education institutions should be commissioned by September 1.
“Probably, not all of them will be ready due to coronavirus, but the majority of them should be ready,” the president said.
“Our strategy is very simple: we have to build as many such important infrastructure facilities as possible over the five years given to us by the people of Ukraine and the God,” Zelensky said.
The president also checked the construction site of a kindergarten in the village of Davydkivtsi, Khmelnytsky district. He was told that the total cost of the project is more than UAH 27 million, as well as that the building was 65% ready at that moment and it would be put in operation by September 1.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has received credentials from Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Ukraine Toila Ataev, and expressed belief that both sides would take effective steps to further develop Ukrainian-Turkmen mutually beneficial cooperation.
“The two noted the interest of Ukraine and Turkmenistan in the intensification of political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. Special attention was paid to strengthening cooperation in the construction industry,” the presidential press service said on Friday.
Zelensky expressed hope that the distribution of COVID-19 would not interfere with plans to intensify bilateral dialogue, and conveyed an invitation to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to visit Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has declared his property, income, expenses and financial liabilities for 2019. “According to the declaration, the income of the head of state and his family in 2019 amounted to UAH 28.602 million. Zelensky’s family paid taxes in the amount of UAH 3.6 million to the budget,” the presidential press service said.
Since May 2019, Zelensky has not been engaged in entrepreneurial activities and receives salaries exclusively in the state administration. His salary from May to December 2019 amounted to UAH 208,787.
“In the reporting period, an increase in his spouse’s salary and a decrease in the salary and business income from the entrepreneurial activities of Volodymyr Zelensky were recorded,” the report said.
In particular, in 2019, the president’s family received funds in repayment of government domestic loan bonds for a total of UAH 5.1 million and incurred expenses for the acquisition of government bonds in the amount of UAH 5.2 million.
Zelensky declared UAH 4.423 million, which were received from the sale of real estate in Kyiv in Velyka Vasylkivska Street, owned by his wife.
Also, the Zelensky family received UAH 3.2 million for renting an apartment in the UK.
In 2019, the wife of the president, Olena Zelenska, received a loan from the first assistant to the head of state, Serhiy Shefir, in the amount of UAH 5 million. The loan was repaid by the end of the reporting year.
Zelensky in 2019 spent UAH 11.5 million as a contribution to the election fund of the candidate for the president of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to find financing in the amount of $3 billion for the construction program to restore bridges across Ukraine.
“There is a planned large program, which I am looking another $3 billion for, as this is my responsibility. These are all the bridges of our country,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday.
According to the president, only in Ivano-Frankivsk region there are about 1,900 bridges of different sizes.
Zelensky also said that it is planned to complete the construction of a bridge in Zaporizhia in two and a half years.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a trend in number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country is optimistic, however one should not be careless about the infection. The president’s press service said that on Tuesday, during a regular meeting on the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine, the head of state was informed that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ukraine in the past 24 hours was 260 and 356 patients have recovered.
“The coronavirus epidemic has forced us all to make new decisions and accept new living conditions. All countries in the world have revised their approaches. Today’s trend in the number of those who fell ill and those who recovered inspires hope that we have passed the first challenges with dignity. However, this does not mean that we should be careless with coronavirus infection. We will do everything to guarantee the safety of Ukrainians,” Zelensky said.
Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov informed the president that so far almost all regions have paid 300% bonuses to medical workers who worked with COVID-19 patients in March. Three regions will resolve this issue in the coming days.
Also, some regions have already started paying bonuses for April, and by the end of the week the Cabinet of Ministers expects a significant increase in the number of agreements with the National Health Service, which is necessary to make these payments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that the “Ukraine is Europe” slogan should not be formal, which Ukrainians recall once a year, it should be part of their consciousness. “I have always said that Europe is, first of all, a way of thinking. Europe begins with each of us, with each citizen, with the observance of laws, payment of taxes, protection of democratic values and civil society, free expression of will, freedom of speech, thought and religion, equality and respect, with the “allergy” to taking or giving bribes, with a properly parked car and a cigarette butt thrown into the garbage bin. Let’s make Europe Day every day,” he wrote on his page in the Facebook social network on the occasion of Europe Day.
Zelensky recalled that the European friends of Ukraine in 2020 marked the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, with which the European Union actually began its countdown.
“The words of Robert Schuman are still relevant today: “Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan.” The building of a united, prosperous and successful Europe continues. It is obvious to me that this process cannot be considered completed without Ukraine. We believe that this day will definitely come, and our state will be a full part of the European family!” the President of Ukraine said.
