The Ukrainian government has proposed that 2023 state budget expenditures are increased by UAH 328.5 billion, including an additional provision of UAH 302.6 billion for the security and defense sector, according to the corresponding bill approved at a government meeting on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the funds are expected to be allocated by increasing external borrowing by UAH 207.6 billion, including $3.3 billion from the United States, UAH 91.2 billion of internal borrowing, and reducing state budget expenditures by UAH 11.4 billion and increase in revenue by UAH 26.1 billion.

The Ministry of Finance said that it is additionally proposed to allocate UAH 211 billion to the Ministry of Defense and UAH 2.5 billion to Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, UAH 79.2 billion to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, UAH 4.2 billion to the Security Service of Ukraine; UAH 4.4 billion to the Ministry of Strategic Industry, UAH 0.6 billion to the Administration of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection, UAH 0.5 billion to the Foreign Intelligence Service and UAH 0.2 billion to the State Guard Department.

Among UAH 19.9 billion of other expenses, the ministry allocated UAH 16.5 billion to the Ministry of Social Policy to support internally displaced persons, since today more than 2 million people receive assistance for living expenses for internally displaced persons and the number of such persons is constantly increasing.

In addition, the bill provides UAH 350 million for a budget-funded program of the Ministry of Energy for financial support to business entities in the fuel and energy complex.

Speaking about cutting costs, the Ministry of Finance said that UAH 10.7 billion will be saved on servicing the public debt.

In general, according to bill No. 10038 published on the parliament's website, it is proposed to increase state budget funding by UAH 290.7 billion, to UAH 2.01 trillion.

As First Deputy Head of the Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Yaroslav Zhelezniak said, it is also proposed to increase funding for the Bureau of Economic Security by UAH 315 million and the State Aviation Service of Ukraine by UAH 185.4 million this year, and allocate UAH 552.8 million for textbooks for 5-6 classes, UAH 1.2 billion – for embassies, UAH 30 million – for the Innovation Development Fund, and UAH 91.2 million – for the maintenance of prisoners of war.

In his opinion, the bill as submitted is unlikely to be adopted, since many expenses do not meet the declared principle of security and defense.