Dear Viktor Fedorovych!

Dear member of the Cabinet and invited!

Today we are present, I would say, at a historical session of the Government, because for the first time in 20 years the President has set such large-scale, comprehensive, systematic tasks for social policy in the state. Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of such measures. And we certainly, the Government, have to all these tasks implemented in the near future in the form of an amendment to the Law "On State Budget 2012" and we have to consider when planning 2013 year’s activity and also implement the measures in a large number of normative documents and Government’s decisions.

Two years ago, when we came to power, the question was different. First of all, we had to keep the country from collapse, the crisis, restore the economy and gradually expand into new social standards.

I have recently been in Zakarpatya region and a woman says: "We well you understand. We have experienced many times after the flood, when understand falling apart, destroyed and even tearing begin on all. And then you slowly begin to recover and life is improving. So we are very well you and the President understand".

And yet, two years ago, we have started with a very difficult decision. When we were in opposition, on the initiative of Viktor Yanukovych, we adopted the Law "On the new social standards," you all remember, the previous government froze all of that social standards and in particular did not complied with the law. And despite difficulties we have changed the budget, passed a resolution and since that we follow the new social standards.

We have managed for two year to 71% i.e. to 455 UAH to increase minimum wage: from 643 UAH to 1098 UAH: to 65% or 332 UAH to increase minimum pension in age: from 510 UAH to 842 UAH and other social standards were improved. 

However, the President is absolutely right when he says that people today need not comparison with past and how much interest we have raised all these social settings, but they need significant increase in their level of social protection. So our main goal now is to perform these tasks set the President, first of all due to the growth of the economy, improvement of tax administration, ie, reduce the shadow economy, and by modernization and improvement of productivity at our enterprises.

Therefore, when we set a task to increase the production of goods and services this is for us not statistics, but the jobs, income of people, contributions to the Pension Fund, increase the supply of goods and services to our domestic market. When we are engaged in quality control of products - it is not administrative interference in business affairs, but health and safety of our people. When we do, what the President said today, creating a system of regulated drug prices - is primarily a concern for the health of our people. We have set the task, of this Mr. Tigipko did not mention, for 2 years to eliminate all lines to kindergartens, in other words by the end of next year, no lines to kindergartens in the Ukraine should not be.

When we change the education system - it is not easy adaptation to European standards, and above all competitive of our children in today's world. When we demand to stop the tariff’s racket, we protect the incomes of our people.

Dear Viktor Fedorovych, the Government will decide you tasks in every way. All resources, which are still not involved, will be included and used to strengthen social policy. As for the practical organization of the execution of those tasks that you have set, we first of all we will introduce project management. The Ministry or the vice Prime Minister, if we are talking about a group of ministries and departments will meet for each initiative, the project. It will be marked all phases of the projects, absolutely clear and understandable for people the benchmarks of project implementation.

Second. The Government will provide targeted and affordability of social protection and social services. For example, the Government greatly facilitated the system of the use of subsidies in the country. However, we have still people who do not receive these subsidies. And in that we see the sense of changes in the social policy on which the vice Prime Minister has reported. We will do that the receiving social assistance becomes responsibility only bodies of the social security or the Pension Fund.

Third, we will establish a system for monitoring the implementation of all tasks completely, which now arise. And not just monitoring, but also the feedback system between those agencies that will implement the social initiatives of the President and civil society.

We will raise the role of civil society organizations that are engaged in social protection of population, in monitoring the implementation of these initiatives.

Fourth. We will pay special attention, in my opinion, the weakest link in the implementation of all measures - the system of local government. Unfortunately, we have a paradox: the local authorities, who are closest to the people, often turn out to be the most far from the need of our people.

If you look at appeals to government's call-center, post office of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers there is the impression that, besides the President, Government, there is no authority.

Why do people immediately address to the President, the Prime Minister, so that the wood would be brought, for example or an elevator would be established or turn the heat?

Why in the various local offices, a reception day - just one a week and then half a day? It creates lines, especially complicated the lives of those people who are forced to go to the office.

Why, for example, a person has to wait an elementary legal act on the land six months, a year or even a year and half?

Therefore, the Government has to pay special attention to it. I would ask local authorities, especially now when there is a process of deregulation, I stress, 54 different regulatory acts was canceled, do not take and do not create additional complications in the field, but on the contrary - as their decisions to simplify the work with the business.

Certainly there is a main task to increase the resources of local budgets, because what we are told will require a concentration of huge financial resources and they must focus not only on the level of the state budget, but also at the level of local budgets.

Of course, we have a lot to do, Viktor Yanukovych. But I am confident that with the tasks that you set, the government will coupe with.

Thank you!