Introductory statement by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk at the Government's meeting held on October 1, 2014

posted 01 October 2014 13:32

Dear members of the Government!

Today, our session will be devoted exclusively to social issues.

The first set of questions relates to benefits, subsidies and compensations for citizens of Ukraine. We look forward to the beginning of the heating season, respectively, people will receive utility bills. I would ask the Minister for Social Policy Liudmila Leontiivna to inform you clearly about what compensation mechanisms the Government has already implemented, what privileges and subsidies have been introduced by the Government and what the next steps the Government is going to undertake so as to help the poorest segments of the population.

I’m going to speak frankly - we are unable to help everyone at once. But after today's meeting of the Government we will make the third phase of assistance to the most needy, to compensate as much as possible the losses that people may suffer from changes in prices, tariffs: those people who are disabled; those people who are unable to earn themselves; those people who need help from the state. Our resources are limited, and we will think about how to make the third phase of compensation. This is the first set of social issues.

Secondly, regarding ATO participants. We’ve held a range of meetings and conferences. I would ask the Minister to report on how the system aimed at providing the status of ATO participants works. The next issue concerns the prosthesis of our guys at home and abroad.

The third set of questions relates to internally displaced persons, migrants. We have to take two decisions on IDPs - both for registration and for helping these people in order to let them survive the winter.

The next set of issues relates to medicine, more specifically, problems the medicine faces. We have the catastrophic situation with the procurement of drugs and medicines. Therefore, we are to consider this matter today and the Government is to take corresponding decisions. I would also inform you about these decisions.

I would ask