Pension and wage hikes take effect, affecting millions

Pensioners who served in the military – as well as
those with long work experience – began receiving higher pensions as of Jan. 1,
affecting 2 mln citizens, according to Vice Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko, as reported
by epravda.com.ua. Their pensions rose UAH 172 to UAH 1,669 per month,
according to the 2019 budget. Pensions for other categories will rise between
15% to 40% on March 1, affecting 11 mln citizens, Rozenko said. In addition,
the monthly minimum wage increased UAH 450 to UAH 4,173 as of Jan. 1, according
to the 2019 budget.

Zenon Zawada: These
pension and wage adjustments were approved by parliament in 2017. Now President
Poroshenko hopes they will convince enough Ukrainians that progress is being
made in raising living standards, and voting for Yulia Tymoshenko won’t be
necessary. It’s possible that these increases, however small they are by
Western standards, will give the president a boost in his poll ratings in the
coming months.