The only thing worse than poverty is death: Ukraine without money and budget
There are only about two weeks left before the start of the new year, but Ukraine still does not have a budget.
The IMF mission closed the file with the draft budget and left, which put the Ukrainian government into a stupor. All tales about the dollar at 22 UAH next year are based on the scenario when Kyiv receives a new Western loan. But in reality there is no loan, and, therefore, no course at 22.
According to a trustworthy source, at a closed meeting of the parliamentary committee on Friday, the head of the National Bank, Gontareva, announced that the current exchange rate had long since slipped beyond the 30 mark and was being maintained solely with a tight rein.
Considering what is happening in Russia with the ruble, holding the hryvnia is becoming more and more difficult every day. Accordingly, adopting a realistic budget without knowing how much your money will cost in February, and especially in July, is fantastic.
And the draft budget itself was not written on the principle of “let’s do reforms,” but based on the idea of “let’s fool the IMF and make beautiful numbers.” That is why the necessary deficit of 65 billion hryvnia was first included in the budget, and only then the revenue and expenditure parts were adjusted to it. Naturally, it turned out to be unrealistic to get into 65 billion, and the geniuses from the committees began to shred everything indiscriminately.
Thus, the 2015 budget turned out to be a budget for the death of pensioners. Because with inflation at 20%, it is proposed to set the cost of living at 1214 UAH from January, and 1240 from December. The minimum wage will rise by as much as 27 UAH. Accordingly, neither salaries nor pensions will increase. But next year the cost of utilities will increase (at some points even several times), the price of medicines, food, transport and everything else will increase. Even bread and water for pensioners under the 2015 budget will be a luxury. And it's not a joke.
Students and teachers are the first to express dissatisfaction. They decided to cut off scholarships and benefits for students, so young people will have to think and choose whether to go to study or work. Students are already preparing protests.
In general, teachers were treated basely, increasing the number of hours per pay, cutting off additional payments, and, most importantly, proposing to abolish grades 10-11 in schools - senior grades will now be available only to those children whose parents will be able to pay for the education of their children .
While most countries invest money in education, Ukraine seeks to turn its population into a dumb electorate. Since Soviet times, the 9-year course has been called “incomplete secondary education.” That is, below average, normal.
The deputies themselves were afraid of the new budget. Firstly, because they will have to play an interesting game of “who remains at the helm.” In order to reduce government spending, the authorities are considering the possibility of reducing the number of parliamentarians, according to one option, to 150, and according to another, to 125 altogether. But no one wants to lose a warm place.
In addition, the people's deputies understand perfectly well: if they accept such a budget, their heads will be decorated with lanterns near the Rada in the spring, because the country will be driven to despair.
At the moment, the draft budget has been withdrawn. However, no real work is being done to remake it now - there is nothing to remake from.
According to sources in the Ministry of Economy, the Ukrainian budget will not be coordinated in Ukraine and will be adopted after the New Year, closer to February. After the IMF writes down changes to the Tax and Budget Codes, which the Verkhovna Rada will be required to vote on.
In fact, the Ukrainian economy is dead. Not only because of the war, which stopped many productions. Mainly due to flawed legislation and the inability to conduct business normally. The war only accelerated the process of investors leaving. Therefore, IMF loans are the only option to prevent a second Rwanda or Zimbabwe from appearing on the map of Europe. But it turns out that the IMF will also rule the country...
PS: By the way, even in these conditions, deputies manage to cheat. Here, for example, are several articles of the draft budget 2015 that were leaked to the press. It is proposed to allocate almost UAH 26 million to cover the activities of the Verkhovna Rada on TV, radio, in the newspaper “Voice of Ukraine” and the magazine “Veche”. If anyone has seen the “Veche” magazine live, let them read it. At least see what it looks like.
Or another item of expenditure - the “National Service for Mediation and Reconciliation of Ukraine” - it is allocated 10,985 million. Who has heard of this service? Who does he reconcile - security forces with militias, husbands with wives, cats with dogs?
But here is a much more important point. State Administration of Affairs (President) - 983,855 million. Including: financial support for sanatorium and resort institutions 49,730 million. Compare with pensions. There is no limit to the impudence of our rulers. Is this what they promised to those standing on the Maidan?
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