The Government has announced an initiative to offer the Ukrainians, who cannot or do not want to use subsidies to compensate for the introduction of market gas prices, which is a mechanism of annual instalments to pay for housing and utility services. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman told during a meeting with leaders of all-Ukrainian trade unions and their associations on Tuesday.

"We have had discussions with members of Parliament and decided the following: we will introduce a 12-month instalment plan to pay for the housing and communal services for those not wishing to receive subsidies," he said.

According to him, this option will be offered for those families that cannot or do not want to participate in the subsidy program.

"It means we have two mechanisms to be used: on the one hand, this is subsidy – a targeted assistance, irrevocable aid, on the other hand - if this option is unacceptable for various reasons, please: you consume today – you pay during 12 months. This entails that the burden on the family budget calculated in the monthly installments will be decreased", said the Prime Minister.

The Head of Government expressed belief that these two compensatory mechanisms would be effective.

"People will see the accounts and understand that compensation is reasonable, and actually, even as a result of raising the price [for gas] to market levels it will not affect the family budget. It is our goal, it is our task", he stressed.

Volodymyr Groysman noted that the subsidy system is a tool of targeted social protection.

"We can't subvent heating providers, water providers, their losses and everything else. We are obliged nowadays, when it's hard, to support each Ukrainian family", he emphasized.