The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the draft national budget for 2017 at first reading on the last day foreseen for this in the Budget Code.

Some 230 MPs supported the decision at a plenary session on October 20, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.

According to the Budget Code, the adoption in general of the parliament's conclusions and proposals to the draft budget is the adoption of the draft budget at first reading. The parliament passes its conclusions to the Cabinet of Ministers, while the latter considers them when preparing the draft national budget for 2017 and then files it to the Rada within two weeks for second reading (until November 3).

Before making this decision, Head of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine Roman Mahuta noted a number of risks contained in the document.

"When calculating the figures of the draft national budget, a 3% growth of real GDP was taken into account, which in the conditions of a low purchasing power of the population, the reduction of lending to the economy, the unfavorable investment climate in the country and the deterioration of conditions in international commodity markets is too optimistic," he said.