Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman opened a session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a report on the results of the activities of the Government for the first half of the year. The Head of Government commended positive dynamics of transformations. Thus, the growth of the economy in the first quarter of the year amounted to 2.5%, average wage for the first half of the year would exceed the sum worth UAH 7 thousand and the state budget has been also over-executed.

«This work can be called a major overhaul of the country. The economic upturn in the first quarter was at the level of 2.5%, real wages increased by almost 20%, the average wage increased by 13% - to UAH 6,840, and in June - July it will exceed UAH 7,000. Amount of capital investments for the period of January-March soared by 20%, the volume of export of goods from Ukraine increased by 25%. The budget exceeded (on revenues) to the tune of UAH 29 billion, earlier the budget had a deficit. These figures indicate that the economy is buoyant and there is a process of unshadowing», stressed the Prime Minister.

The Head of Government put a special emphasis to the fact that the last decade, unfortunately, has become a decade of lost opportunities, hence it is of critical importance to ensure an efficient settlement of problems in many sectors.

«The priority is a person and everything that surrounds people. Human capital is the highest value. And we must proceed from the interests of people. The point is about a wide range of issues starting from road construction and energy efficiency, energy independence to education and health, thus turnaround time for the said projects implementation is from one to three years, as it is foreseen by the medium-term planning policy launched this year», emphasized Volodymyr Groysman.

The Head of Government noted that the defined tasks had been approved and received commendable assessment of business and the international community. This is confirmed by the large reform conference in London (UK). The most decisive steps were the launch of the electronic VAT register as well as the modernization of the customs, which immediately allowed to increase customs duties by 37%, thereby to allocate a significant sum of revenues worth UAH 30 to 50 billion to the state budget .

«The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine continues a policy of deregulation and abolishes those regulatory acts hampering making business. The Government establishes the Innovation Development Council. We need to launch industrial parks and technological parks. We propose to review the process of privatization in the direction of its maximum transparency and guarantee of investment», Volodymyr Groysman asserted.

Moreover, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the development of industrial potential and export opportunities through shaping and signing of a package of Free Trade Agreements.