Ostap Semerak: Local governments have managed to spend only one third of the resource obtained from tax on pollution

Ukraine has problems with spending resource obtained from environmental taxes in regions. Only 32% of funds transferred as a tax on pollution to local budgets have been used properly. Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ostap Semerak announced on air of Channel 5.

He also reminded that 80% of the tax on pollution paid in Ukraine falls into local budgets.

"I am worried that only 32% of the funds either planned in the budgets or transferred to the budgets of local councils in 2016 were spent. That is, in fact, one third of the resource paid by those who pollute the environment for the improvement of the situation was applied. The remaining sum - two thirds - is in the accounts", explained Ostap Semerak.

At that, the Minister noted that Ukraine had tended to increase revenues from the payment of environmental taxes.

In 2016 alone, business entities paid about UAH 4 billion 222 million in taxes on pollution. Of these, UAH 842 million were transferred to the general fund of the State Budget. About UAH 221 million were allocated from the state budget for the implementation of the environmental protection program.

As was previously informed by Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Ostap Semerak, in 2016 the Ministry of Environmental Protection received 598 requests for environmental measures for a total sum of more than UAH 4 billion 600 million.

Under such circumstances, according to the Minister, it is expedient to define medium-term environmental priorities common for all regions of Ukraine that could be co-financed from the state and local budgets.