Prime Minister: The Budget will be fully balanced, the minimum wage to be increased due to legalization and equitable job evaluation of Ukrainians

The State Budget - 2017 after increasing the minimum wage to UAH 3200 will be balanced. It will be carried out due to legalization and fair assessment of the work of Ukrainian citizens. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman talking to reporters on Monday.

"We will balance the budget. We lay a 3% economic growth. The Budget deficit will not exceed 3%", the PM said.

The Head of the Government stressed that raising the minimum wage to UAH 3200 is absolutely real.

Due to the legalization will be reduced the amount of the deficit of the Pension Fund. Now calculations are being made, the PM said.

Commenting on statements of some politicians about the need for "belt-tightening" Volodymyr Groysman said: "If someone says that we need to tighten the belt, I recommend: tighten the belt yourself, live on UAH 1600 and speculate upon when people's wages should be increased".

The Prime Minister also noted that raising the minimum wage will not require additional emission of money. "Anything like that. We have enough of funds in the budget, the economy. For the first time in 25 years UAH 3200 is a minimum subsistence level and the minimum wage will be equal to it. This means that people begin to get out of poverty.

The Prime Minister also said that from UAH 3200 all taxes should be paid. Thus, after retirement, the employee will receive "a normal, not miserable pension".

He noted that the Government was working on a decision to increase the minimum wage to UAH 3200 for months. As of September 15, when the Government submitted to the Parliament the draft Budget, the relevant decisions had not been, therefore, the figure of the minimum wage on the level of UAH 1600-1700 was laid.

"By the second reading these proposals will be taken into account in the draft Budget," stressed the Prime Minister

Now on the agenda of the Government is to create a normal pension system in the country. The Cabinet of Ministers is working on this issue, said Volodymyr Groysman.