The Government is committed to take further measures concerning the implementation of the social contract as well as to focus on the pension system reform in 2017. Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman announced during a meeting of the Regional Development Council chaired by President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

Referring to the activities of the Government for 11 month, the Prime Minister noted that in the first days the Government had assumed office it had faced a serious challenge to stabilize the economy, to speed up the economic growth and to improve the situation in the country.

The analysis of the activities of 2016 the country demonstrates a positive trend of gradual economic upturn, in particular a 2.2% GDP growth being almost 5% in the 4th quarter.

Another progress was the Government had adopted a decision to increase twofold the minimum wage in 2016.

There had been taken initial steps towards proper evaluation of work of Ukrainian doctors, teachers, increased support for Ukrainian soldiers, thereby meeting the requirements of our social contract.

The Government had applied all mechanisms to ensure the economic growth, however it was jeopardized through the energy blockade.

“We embarked on a twofold rise of the minimum pay and we are committed to prolong our work to implement our social contract. The next challenge for us is to change the pension system. It is extremely unfair for Ukrainian citizens to live in poverty, especially when retired, it is unfair that Ukrainian citizens lag behind our neighbors in European countries living a shorter life by 7 years, its’ unfair that Ukrainians drive along destroyed roads”, underlined the Prime Minister.