Almost third of Ukrainians to get energy subsidies – PM Yatseniuk
The Ukrainian authorities, in the current circumstances, should raise energy tariffs for households, but 30% of the public will receive subsidies, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.
"It's time to tell the truth and do difficult and unpopular things... In the current circumstances we must increase energy tariffs for the public," he said at the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday.
Yatseniuk noted that 1.4 million Ukrainian families were currently receiving energy subsidies and that now four million families would get them.
"As of today, 1.4 million families fell under the system of subsidies in our country, whereas today we are introducing the most ambitious program of support for low-income people. The total number of households that fall under our program of social assistance grows from 1.4 million households to four million households. We will cover 30% of the Ukrainian population with social assistance programs," he said.
Yatseniuk said that each low-income family would receive an additional benefit of up to UAH 500 to cover its expenditures on housing and utility services, and that the government had already made a respective decision.