The Ukrainian government should expand the program of subsidies for the population due to an increase in natural gas tariffs, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"As president, I have set a very tough demand to the government. We must protect people, expand the subsidy program, increase funds for the implementation of this program so that the least protected segments of the population and anyone to whom this increase is critical are not affected," the press service of the head of state quoted Poroshenko as saying at a meeting on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the creation of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine in Kyiv on Monday.

Poroshenko recalled the latest increase in the price of gas, when, thanks to the introduction of subsidies, it was possible to compensate for the costs for the unprotected strata of the population and "remove fear" regarding this decision.

"We emphasize that not a single person, not a single poor person, not a single unprotected family should feel the effect of the increase in tariffs on their own budget," he said.

On October 19, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to increase the price of natural gas for households and heat supply companies by 23.5% from November 1.